STARKVILLE, Miss.--A Mississippi State alumnus who most recently oversaw a major facilities services contract for the U.S. Naval Academy is the university's first executive director of facilities.
Pontotoc native James A. Jones is heading a new unit composed of three formerly separate offices, said Ray Hayes, vice president for finance and administration.
"He'll be pulling together and coordinating the offices of the Physical Plant, Custodial Services, and Campus Landscape and Grounds," Hayes said. By combining the three functions, MSU is adopting an organizational structure found at most other universities.
"I think we'll soon notice positive results from a coordinated effort on our campus," Hayes added.
Jones is a 1981 MSU electrical engineering graduate who went on to receive a master's in management from the Naval Postgraduate School. He is a registered professional engineer.
In his new role, Jones will oversee maintenance, operations and housekeeping of all campus facilities and grounds, as well as the utilities system. He also will coordinate planning and construction of all new campus capital improvement projects.
As the general manager of the Naval Academy's Facility Management in Annapolis, Md., Jones oversaw a $45 million contract that provided facility maintenance, utility operation and maintenance, transportation management, housing management, grounds maintenance, and special events set-up.
He has served as the chief operating officer for a number of naval construction organizations, with assignments that include the 20th Seabee Readiness Group and the 20th Naval Construction Regiment, both in Gulfport; the Puget Shipyard and Bremerton Naval Station in Bremerton, Wash.; and the Naval Coastal Systems Center Construction Office in Panama City, Fla.