David A. Jones Always Moving Forward by David A Jones

David A. Jones Always Moving Forward by David A Jones

The story of friends, family, hometown values - and an entrepreneur who changed American healthcare forever

In 1961, David Jones and another young lawyer borrowed $1,000 each to build a nursing home. That modest investment turned into Humana: first the largest nursing home company in the U.S., then the largest hospital corporation, and today one of the nation's largest health insurance companies, with 65,000 employees and a value of $65 billion.

"I've always believed there's nothing being done that can't be done better," Jones writes in this engaging account of American entrepreneurship. He also advocates hiring ordinary people who learn fast and get things done, rather than relying on expert credentials.

But Always Moving Forward is about so much more:

• The controversy over for-profit medicine: Jones explains why he was "proudly not non-profit."
• The artificial heart: The world watched as a Humana team implanted the Jarvik-7 into a man who lived 620 days.
• A sixteen-year-long humanitarian mission: After the collapse of the Berlin wall and Eastern European economies, President George H. W. Bush asked Jones to help rebuild the Romanian healthcare system, which had been devastated by war and a corrupt dictator.
• 9/11: Jones and 23 Humana executives were at Ground Zero when the planes hit. They tell the harrowing story.
• Life lessons learned: For example, "Family first" and "You don't have a clear idea unless it fits on the back of a business card."
• Business failures as well as successes.

Jones also was a great philanthropist, although mostly anonymously. His final legacy is one of the largest metropolitan parks completed this century - a project led by him and one of his sons in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Dave A. Jones grew up in Western Pennsylvania and spent most of his early childhood and adult life in and out of hockey rinks around the world; playing in cities such as Ottawa, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids. His love and skill for hockey lead into a professional career in Europe playing in many countries including Luxemburg, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland and finally Germany.For over 13 years, Dave has worked NHL, NFL, Track and Field, and CrossFit athletes with their mental preparation, and hundreds of organizational leaders and executives around the world. Dave's personal vision is to unify excellence in the marketplace. He has founded four thriving companies in the Raleigh North Carolina community. Dave Jones has B.S in Management Studies from the University of Maryland, European Division. He has a Masters Degree in Counseling Sports Psychology and is pursuing his Educational Doctorate in Sport and Performance Psychology. Dave is a sports consultant who coaches CEOs, executives, professional athletes to help achieve their vision, by executing and developing mental skills training, and enhancing thought blocking techniques. He works with organization leaders on their strategy, execution and communication, and managing the gaps between employees and management.As a thought leader and highly motivated individual, Dave engages executive teams by consulting on analytics, oversight of talent initiatives, and one-on-one coaching. He helps leaders improve the effectiveness of their organizations, by utilizing practices such as strategic planning, mental skills training, organizational assessment, and team interventions. Dave and his wife, Laura currently reside in Raleigh, NC and together, and have two teenage boys.