User:Ellen Jaffe Jones

Ellen Jaffe Jones is the author of "Eat Vegan on $4 a Day--A Game Plan for the Budget Conscious Cook." As a former 2-time Emmy-winning TV investigative/consumer reporter/anchor for 18 years in Des Moines, Miami and St. Louis, she wrote her book after her mom, aunt and both sisters got breast cancer. Figuring out how to avoid family genes and medical history became the investigative reporting job of her life. Jones won the National Press Club 1st Place Award for Consumer Reporting in 1984. She won the highest awards in broadcasting and broke new ground in the work place by taking an unusual paid leave of absence from her television job before the creation of the US national Family Leave Act. She continued to work out of her home when her children were young, doing then unheard of broadcasts from a microphone in her kitchen.

Her most memorable story was discovering that the Miami School Superintendent had stolen gold-plated plumbing for his summer home in Naples, Florida. Jones moved to her home town of St. Louis where she broke the story about Chrysler Corporation's executive car driving program. Executives drove cars before they were sold to the public with odometers disconnected and customers were not told this until Jones broke the story. Jones finished her TV career working as an investigative reporter and morning anchor at KTVI-TV, KMOV-TV, and then after 6 years as a stay-at-home mom, re-entered the workforce as a morning anchor at KDNL-TV.

Jones joined Smith Barney as a financial consultant, and during her 5 years, was the #1 market performer (how well she did for clients, not for herself) in 2001 at her branch which included downtown St. Louis. Jones then joined her husband, Clarence, in his successful media consulting business. She did media consulting for many vegan and vegetarian doctors, dietitians and health care professionals and organizations. She became a cooking instructor for the national non-profit, The Cancer Project. She has been a runner since age 28, became a certified personal trainer (AFAA) and certified running coach (RRCA). She is the assistant volunteer coach for the girls cross country team at Manatee High School in Bradenton, FL. She is also a personal Trainer at Island Fitness in Holmes Beach, FL.

Jones does book signings and cooking demonstrations at major food festivals in the US and abroad. She writes columns for "The Anna Maria Sun" and "Running Journal." She is a sought after trainer, coach and popular speaker on radio, TV and at conferences about how to eat well on a budget.