Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (MEC) is pleased to announce the promotion of Carol Ann Jones to the position of vice president of finance and accounting. She will be responsible for all financial and accounting processes at the Cooperative and managing the Finance and Accounting Department to provide reliable and timely financial reporting and statistical information. Her responsibilities also include ensuring the continuing strong fiscal health of the Cooperative.
Jones has been with the member-owned organization for over 30 years. She was hired as a general accountant in 1987 and was promoted to accounting supervisor in 1997. For the past 15 years, she has held the position of manager of accounting and finance where she planned and directed the functions of MEC’s accounting services, analyzed cash flow needs, coordinated financial audits, and ensured financial statements were in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles and Rural Utility Service requirements.
Jones grew up in the Skipwith community and is a graduate of Bluestone High School. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, and Accounting from Averett University in Danville, Virginia, and is a member of the National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives. She and her husband, Clarksville Town Manager Jeff Jones, have two adult children, Lauren and Ian.
For many years during her employment at MEC, she has been behind the scenes for projects in the community. She served as a sponsor of the Mecklenburg Junior Women’s Association and currently enjoys teaching Sunday school for elementary-school-age children at Clarksville Baptist Church. She has assisted with fundraising events for these and many other non-profit organizations, such as The American Heart Association, The American Cancer Society, and Clarksville Dixie Youth.
“I feel very blessed to be a part of Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, an organization from the beginning of its existence to the present that carries the tradition of putting the members’ needs first,” Jones says. “Both of my grandfathers were area farmers who were part of the first group of people to form MEC in the late 1930s. They were so proud to have electricity in their homes and farms. I am very grateful that I can be a part of a company that not only provides reliable service but truly cares about the community and the people it serves.”
Chief Operating Officer Glen Gillispie comments, “Carol Ann has the knowledge, experience, and ability to proactively manage the Cooperative’s finance and accounting processes now and into the future. She has excellent problem-solving skills that produce efficient and effective solutions. I am confident Carol Ann will bring tremendous value to MEC members as their chief financial officer.”
MEC President and CEO John Lee states, “Carol Ann has been a valuable part of this organization for many years and, frankly, has earned this opportunity to advance at MEC. She has a strong work ethic and is well-versed and vastly experienced in utility accounting and finance. Most importantly of all, she believes strongly in our culture of customer service excellence and doing the right thing by those we serve as evidenced by her dedication to the cooperative business model and commitment to our membership. She has also learned from Glen Gillispie who is renowned in cooperative circles in the region as THE cooperative accounting and finance authority and who will be retiring in the not-too-distant future. She will do an excellent job and continue bringing value to our members from her new position.”