FSC First promoted Beverly Everson-Jones to Chief Financial and Operating Officer (CFOO), a strategic move positioning the organization for its next phase of growth. Designed to be a “force multiplier,” this role will help President and CEO Dawn Medley focus on big-picture initiatives while Everson-Jones maintains operational excellence.
“FSC First is at an inflection point,” explains Medley. “I look forward to Beverly’s continued and expanded contributions to transforming this organization.”
In her newly expanded role, Everson-Jones will oversee finance, marketing, resource development, and technical assistance while providing leadership for technology and human capital initiatives. She’ll also serve as a trusted advisor to Medley.
With over 25 years as a financial and risk management executive, Everson-Jones brings proven expertise and enthusiasm to her role. Her career includes senior leadership roles at a major financial services corporation, serving as Chief Audit Executive for a municipality, leading a national accounting organization, and founding her own financial consultancy serving nonprofit organizations. Everson-Jones began her career at a “Big Four” accounting firm, where she led audits of financial services and nonprofit organizations.
Everson-Jones is a summa cum laude graduate of Virginia State University with a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. She serves on multiple nonprofit boards and maintains memberships in the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Everson-Jones’ passion for entrepreneurship took root during childhood. “The first entrepreneurs I ever met were my parents,” she remembers, referencing her family’s multi-generational Virginia farm investments initially established in 1897. Her parents were working farmers, selling crops, livestock, and timber, while managing full-time jobs and raising six children. “I learned from my parents and have passed on to my daughter that you can take your personal skills and create a living for yourself and for other people,” she explains.
Of her many accomplishments, Everson-Jones takes particular pride in her stewardship of Level Up, FSC First’s technical assistance program that supports entrepreneurs at all stages. “Helping small businesses make their dreams possible is my ambition,” she shares. “We need to meet business owners where they are to bring them to that next level of performance to access capital. FSC First stands in that gap.”
Committed to mentorship, leveling up her team is a key priority for Everson-Jones. “People excel when someone invests in them. I want to see where people’s strengths lie and help them see the possibilities for themselves and our organization,” she states.
Looking ahead, Everson-Jones is confident that FSC First’s most exciting chapters have yet to be written. She is eager to help FSC First provide additional services to businesses in their core marketplace and expand into other markets, deploying technical assistance in new and different ways.
“We are just scratching the surface in terms of what we can accomplish in the communities we serve, and I look forward to helping shape what’s to come,” she shares.
With Everson-Jones stepping into her new role, FSC First is poised to brighten the futures of countless small businesses throughout the region.
