(Albany, NY) January 6, 2026 – Mayor Applyrs was joined today by city staff and community members to announce the separation of the Department of Recreation and Youth and Workforce Services into two departments. Mayor Applyrs has chosen Jonathan Jones to lead the Department of Youth and Workforce, and Reverend Jahmel Robinson to lead the Department of Recreation. Both of these individuals bring decades of experience, compassion, and passion for youth engagement and will be instrumental in facilitating a new era for these departments.
“The Department of Recreation and Youth and Workforce Services has long been a tool the city has used to improve the lives of our young people and their families.” said Mayor Applyrs. “We are at a pivotal moment where how we decide to invest in the future of our youth and families will shape not only their growth and development, but that of our city. The mission of both of these departments is critical to the outcomes of our young people, their families, and to public safety in our city. Through the dynamic leadership of both Commissioner Jones and Commissioner Robinson, youth in Albany will see new investment and dedication to their futures.”
Jonathan P. Jones is an executive leader with nearly two decades of experience directing complex organizations and stewarding significant public and private investment. He serves as Commissioner of Recreation, Youth and Workforce Services for the City of Albany, where he was appointed as the youngest commissioner in the city’s history and leads three integrated organizations focused on people, place, and economic opportunity. His portfolio includes oversight of a 12-million-dollar annual operating budget and more than 90 million dollars in capital, grant-funded, and workforce investments.
Jones is known for translating strategy into durable results. His leadership has delivered major community infrastructure projects, including the Albany West and Albany South Community Centers, the Lincoln Park Aquatic Center, more than 25 playgrounds, and a network of upgraded court and spraypad facilities. These investments expanded access, improved safety, and strengthened neighborhoods, contributing to measurable gains in opportunity and quality-of-life indicators following Albany’s designation as the lowest-ranked city on the Brandeis University Opportunity Index.
He has also led nationally recognized redesigns of youth and workforce programs and authored more than 4 million dollars in competitive funding for reentry and youth development initiatives. In 2016, he established the Youth Opportunity Office to align education, training, and employment support into a coordinated service model.
Earlier in his career, Jones held senior roles focused on accountability, performance improvement, and policy execution across large education systems. He serves on multiple nonprofit and civic boards and has been recognized for his leadership, including being named to the Albany Business Review 40 Under 40 Class of 2016 and as the Community Foundation’s inaugural Beacon of Light awardee.
Commissioner Jonathan Jones said, “For the past 12 years, our work in Albany has shown that recreation, youth development, and workforce are foundational to strong, safe, and healthy communities. I'm proud of what we built in Recreation - the parks, pools, courts, and centers - but most importantly, the impact those spaces have on people's lives. My focus now is on ensuring that every resident can see a clear pathway to a job, a credential, and real economic opportunity.”
Jahmel Robinson is a lifelong Albany resident whose commitment to public service is rooted in both lived experience and professional responsibility. Born and raised in the West Hill neighborhood and a graduate of Albany High School, he has spent nearly a decade working in New York State government at the Department of Health, as a Medicaid Redesign Analyst overseeing contracts that addressed the conditions shaping health, safety, and opportunity in communities across the state. His work required fiscal discipline, performance oversight, and collaboration with partners to ensure public resources delivered real impact. He brings this same accountability-driven approach to local leadership.
As a two-term Albany Common Council member, Jahmel helped guide decisions on housing, workforce policy, civil rights, and municipal finance, while advancing one of the district’s most significant investments, the Albany West Community Center. That experience reinforced his belief that recreation is not a luxury, but essential infrastructure that supports youth development, public safety, and community stability. As Commissioner of Recreation, Jahmel will approach the role through a public health and equity lens, focused on well-managed, accessible spaces that strengthen neighborhoods and expand opportunity across every part of Albany.
Commissioner Jahmel Robinson said, “I am grateful for opportunity to lead the Department of Recreation, and work with young people throughout the city every day. Thank you to Mayor Applyrs for recognizing the importance of investing in our youth, and the dedication to improving outcomes for our kids. Recreation is essential to supporting not just the physical activity, but the mental well-being of our youth, our seniors, our families, and our community. With the opening of the Albany West Community Center, the Lincoln Park Pool, the upcoming Albany South Community Center, and the historic investments into our parks, Albany is creating spaces for people to congregate, to build stability, to improve health and mental health, and ultimately to imbed themselves in the community.”
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