Velda Jones-Potter has a history of ‘firsts’ in science, business and government in Delaware – the first state.

On January 3, 2017, Velda was inaugurated and currently serves as Wilmington’s City Treasurer, the first woman and African-American to hold the office. As city treasurer, Velda:

  • Produced over $20 million in savings for taxpayers
  • Infused an additional $4 million into the local economy through pension benefits
  • Educated over 600 children in financial literacy through the Smart Savers program

In January 2009, Velda became the first African-American in Delaware history to hold statewide elective office. As State Treasurer, Velda steered Delaware through its worst fiscal crisis since the great depression and is lauded for nationally recognized financial education and empowerment initiatives launched during her tenure.

Prior to serving as Delaware’s CFO, Velda began her professional career as an engineer and previously held executive positions with DuPont and MBNA (now Bank of America). She founded a financial services and consulting company and was Managing Partner with a social impact venture capital firm focused on investing in women and minority-led technology companies, and increasing access to capital for underrepresented groups.

Velda earned a BS of Civil Engineering degree from the University of Delaware, becoming the first African-American woman in the history of the institution to earn an engineering degree. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana and studied at Northwestern University National Institute of Public Finance.

Velda is a Member Emeritus of the National Association of State Treasurers, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. She is a founding board member of the Eastside Charter School of Wilmington and the Police Athletic League of Wilmington. Additionally, she was instrumental in the establishment and lead the expansion of the Forum to Advance Minorities in Engineering (FAME), a pre-college math & science enrichment program; which since its inception, has nurtured several thousand new engineers, scientists and business professionals and become a national model for STEM education.

Velda grew up in the Riverside neighborhood of Wilmington, Delaware. Velda graduated from P.S. DuPont High School where she met and later married her husband, Charles; they have two adult sons. Velda enjoys music, dancing, action movies and “lively debates”. Her advice to others -“Dream Big and Make It Happen”.