Carol Jones to receive Excellence in Business Award

Ozarks Technical Community College in April will present Springfield businesswoman Carol Jones with its 2009 Excellence in Business award.

Jones founded Springfield-based Carol Jones, Realtors in 1983. In 1994, she sold the company to Iowa Realty Corp., an affiliate of Home Services America, which ultimately is owned by Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway, and left the business. Six years later, however, she was asked to return to the company as CEO, and she filled that role until November 2008, when she retired to pursue other interests, including spending more time with her family.

Award recipients are selected based on criteria developed by the OTC Students in Free Enterprise. According to OTC's Web site, those chosen for the honor must be a leader of an Ozarks regional business; show entrepreneurial success; achieve innovative business growth; demonstrate an ability to overcome challenges with integrity; and support educational development, customer driven-quality and community achievement.

Past honorees include hotelier and developer John Q. Hammons, the O'Reilly family, Jack Stack of SRC Holdings Corp. and Bill Turner of Great Southern Bank.

Jones will be honored during a ceremony 1:30-3 p.m. April 3 in the Information Commons West building on the school's Springfield campus. During the event, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce President Jim Anderson will lead "A Conversation With Carol Jones," a one-on-one interview on stage.

Admission to the event is $10 per person; registration is available at the link below.[[In-content Ad]]