Anita Ballard-Jones is a native of the Red Hook and Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. She attended George W. Wingate High School. Later, she went on to attend the State University of New York at Farmingdale where she earned an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education. She continued her formal education at the C. W. Post Campus of Long Island University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, and one year later she earned her Master’s Degree in Special Education. Anita’s formal education was sponsored by New York State’s Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, whereas she was granted a four year leave from work with full pay and a full scholarship to any accredited college or university of her choice.
During the course of her education she was awarded A Ford Foundation Scholarship, A Martin Luther King Scholarship, and was inducted into the National Honor Society of Phi Theta Kappa. Anita Graduated from SUNY Farmingdale with the honor of Summa Cum Laude, and her undergraduate degree from C.W. Post as Magna Cum Laude.
Anita continued her employment with New York State’s Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. At the time of her retirement, she had provided thirty-three years of services to children and adults having severe developmental disabilities, first as a mental hygiene therapy aide, and after returning from her educational leave, she worked twelve years as a teacher and later as an administrator.
Anita worked closely with the education and recreation departments at the Long Island Developmental Center from the mid-seventies and throughout the eighties with the Special Olympic Program. She functioned as a volunteer lead chaperone from the Long Island division to the state games.
Anita and her loving and supporting husband Joseph (deceased) have six children and twenty-seven grand children. Anita resides in North Carolina.
All novels may be purchased at Amazon.com or Barne&Noble.com, or your favorite online bookstore! The books are listed below in order of release:
* Rehoboth Road
* The Dancing Willow Tree
* Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Down
* Jupiter’s Corner
* Jacob’s Eyes
Please feel free to e-mail Anita if you or your organization would like her to appear on your program. Arrangement may be made with her to attend your bookclub meeting, in person if local or via telephone. Events will be posted on her Facebook Fanpage. Anita is available for book club chats and online virtual tours. Please contact Anita with any questions or comments at: aballardjo@aol.com
Author Anita Ballard-Jones 