Robert “Bob” Jacobs, 59, of Towamensing Township, a Democrat, is announcing his candidacy for Carbon County Board of Commissioners.

A Carbon County native, Jacobs graduated from Panther Valley High School in 1976, and is the son of Frank and Mary Alice Jacobs of Nesquehoning.

Earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from York College of Pennsylvania in 1980 and a master’s degree in public administration from Marywood College, Jacobs was hired by the Honorable John P. Lavelle to work for the Carbon County Juvenile Court Office as the county’s first intensive juvenile probation officer. Jacobs remained employed by the county until 1985, when he pursued a career in the charitable community.

Jacobs was appointed executive director at Pinebrook Services for Children and Youth in 2006. In 2014, Jacobs negotiated a merger to form Pinebrook Family Answers. He retired as its CEO in 2017.

Jacobs has been active on the Carbon County Criminal Justice Advisory Board, Carbon County Reentry Coalition and Carbon County Opiate Task Force. Since his retirement he has been involved with local charitable organizations, including United Way, where he is on its Campaign Cabinet and Allocations Committee. More recently, he was elected to serve on the governance board of Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation.

Jacobs believes Carbon County is well-positioned for advancement in areas that affect residents’ quality of life. He wants to build upon recent advancements in the county’s criminal justice system to prevent the need for spending more tax dollars on incarceration. Through his efforts, more than $300,000 in a federal Department of Justice award is earmarked to support re-entry services for female inmates in the county jail. Other issues include a need for a clearer vision and plan on economic growth and development, while providing stronger leadership to protect and sustain one of the county’s largest assets, its natural resources.

Jacobs’ experience as a peer reviewer for a national accreditation organization has provided the knowledge and experience to understand how county government can be managed effectively and efficiently. Jacobs believes decisions made by all officials must be done in the most open and transparent manner based on sound policies that include proper checks and balances.

For more, see www.bobjacobsforcommissioner.com.