Barbour names Jones to lead Public Utilities Staff

JACKSON — Gov. Haley Barbour has appointed Virden Jones of Madison as executive director of the Public Utilities Staff. Jones begins the new position immediately and must be confirmed by the Senate.

The Public Utilities Staff works with the Public Service Commission to represent the interests of ratepayers, utilities, state agencies and the broad public interests of the state of Mississippi.

Jones has worked as director of the Electric, Gas and Communications Division at the Public Utilities Staff since 1999. He joined the agency a year earlier as financial modeling manager. As director, he oversaw rate reviews and fuel audits across utility sectors.

He is a certified public accountant. Previously, he worked in the private sector as CFO at Pay Telephone American Inc., and as a registered representative at Morgan Keegan & Co.

He is a member of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants, a board member and past president of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency and a former board member of the Metropolitan YMCA.

Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Vanderbilt University and master’s degree in business administration from Emory University.

He and his wife, Dr. Libby Spence, have three daughters.