Vernon Jones celebrates birthday at W Hotel in Dunwoody

AJC, DeKalb/Rockdale, 11/02/06, by Charles Yoo

Vernon Jones throws a big ball

From the story:

Last weekend, DeKalb Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones threw a bash to celebrate his 46th birthday. Jones invited a few — try, 700 — of his closest friends.

The dress code for Jones' party was similar to the black-and-white ball, where guests came decked out in spiffy black and white. "Attire: Black on Black" read the invitation to Jones' affair.

The party was an eclectic gathering, but for one evening they all became ale buddies. Those in attendance included state Rep. Michele Henson (D-Stone Mountain), Atlanta magazine staff writer Chandra Thomas, who recently did a profile of Jones, and former DeKalb CEO Liane Levetan.

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Jones parties in style. The setting was the swanky W Hotel in Dunwoody where celebrities often stay. That night, a B-list TV comic star, Jamie Kennedy, was spotted in the lobby.

Guests came dressed to impress. Women did "Project Runway" imitations, showing off their funkiest, tightest outfits — think leggings and metallics.

One man stood out. Dressed in baggy jeans and wearing a bandana, the man apparently brought his own bottle of champagne and champagne glass, sipping from it openly. The hip-hopster slouched against a sofa, his eyes on the ladies, who were instead keeping their attention on the men in suits and fine cardigans.

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Jones is more than a politician. Apparently, he's a gym bunny, too.

"Oh, he's in great shape. He does mostly cardio. He's really physically fit," said Jill Rosenthal, 40, who works at LA Fitness where Jones is an active member. "Look at how tall and skinny he is."

Jones himself, meanwhile, showed up fashionably late — an hour after the party's scheduled 7 p.m. kickoff. He was dressed to code, at least partly: A striped black velvet jacket, a blue shirt and jeans.