Velena Jones is an award-winning reporter born and raised in the Bay Area. She reports for NBC Bay Area’s weekday newscasts covering Oakland and the East Bay.
Velena was raised in Concord and is thrilled to be back home reporting in the communities she grew up in. No surprise she is a huge Warriors fan and grew up rooting for both the A's and Giants.
Before coming to NBC Bay Area, Velena served as a reporter and fill-in anchor at CBS Sacramento. During her time in Sacramento she covered historic wildfires, worked on special projects highlighting community members working to unify the region, and covered stories that impacted the city including the 2022 mass shooting in downtown Sacramento and Church shooting.
Prior to her time in Sacramento, Velena worked as a reporter and fill-in anchor in Portland, Oregon and Madison, Wisconsin.
During her time in Portland she worked on countless stories including major protest, including an anti-ICE protest that shut down the building for days.
While in Wisconsin, Velena worked on many major stories including police protests and a University of Wisconsin student charged with sexually assaulting over a dozen women. She was also the first reporter to get an exclusive jail interview with Joseph Jakubowski, a man who led authorities on a 10-day nationwide manhunt after stealing over a dozen rifles and sending a 161- page manifesto to President Trump.
Velena is a recipient of a Midwest Regional Emmy for her role in the coverage of the Tony Robinson shooting in Madison in 2015.
Velena previously was the main anchor and reporter at WBKB in Alpena, Michigan. During her time there she also hosted a weekly newsmagazine highlighting important local and state issues. She won a Michigan Broadcasting Award for a program she hosted, "Insights into Northern Michigan."
She began her career as a News Assistant and Traffic Producer at KABC7 in Los Angeles. During her time in LA she interviewed Smoky Robinson, covered the 25th anniversary of the LA riots, and the Conrad Murray trial. He was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter of singer Michael Jackson.
Velena earned a bachelor’s of arts degree in Broadcast Journalism from Biola University in Southern California.
In her spare time, you can catch Velena hiking, doing yoga, paddle boarding and exploring wineries and restaurants. She is also an active member of the National Association of Black Journalist.
The Latest
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Fans protest outside A's season opener at Oakland Coliseum
Thousands of fans protested at the Oakland Coliseum for the A’s 2024 season opener Thursday night as many fans did not step inside the stadium.
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Floyd Mitchell formally introduced as Oakland's new police chief
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao on Wednesday formally introduced the city’s new police chief, Floyd Mitchell, who faces a tall task leading a department that has had a revolving door of top cops and remains under federal oversight.
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State to help Oakland clean out homeless encampments
As the city of Oakland works to get a handle on their homeless crisis, the state says it’s sending help.
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Oakland names Floyd Mitchell as new police chief
Oakland has a new permanent police chief, after more than a year since the last one was fired.
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Oakland goes digital: New kiosks are designed to help community
The city of Oakland is going digital as part of a new effort to give residents and visitors better access to information. Restaurants, shops, local events, city jobs and emergency service will all be at your fingertips.
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‘My daughter deserved to live': Oakland family blames Kaiser for woman's death
An Oakland family grieving the death of their daughter is blaming Kaiser’s health care system.
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Oakland pushes for safety in crime-ridden corridor
The Hegenberger Corridor is home to multiple businesses, leading to the Oakland International Boulevard. But the area has been plagued with crime recently. Here’s how city, county and state leaders say they’re teaming up to make it safe again.
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Businesses, drivers brace for weekend closure on I-680 in Pleasanton
Starting Friday night, Caltrans is closing southbound Interstate 680 in Pleasanton between the 580/680 connector and Highway 84.
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Taco Bell closes dining rooms in Oakland due to safety concerns
Another major chain is making changes on how they do business in Oakland due to safety concerns.
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Hayward officer injured in crash during pursuit of burglary suspects
A police officer was injured while chasing suspects fleeing a break-in at an apparent illegal marijuana grow early Wednesday in Hayward, authorities said.