South West Illinois News

Carbondale’s new finance director has worked for the Illinois city for almost 20 years and is very happy in his new role. 

Jeff Davis, the city’s former accounting manager, was promoted to finance director and began serving in his new position on Feb. 1.  

“Back in August of 1997, I was hired by the city to be the accounting payroll clerk,” Davis told Southwest Illinois News. “I did that job for a little over three years and then was promoted to the accounting manager position, which more or less oversees the day-to-day accounting [operations] and also oversees the audit. I did that for around 15 years and then was recently promoted to be the finance director.”

During his tenure as accounting manager, the city was continuously awarded the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget, and the Certificate for Achievement in Financial Reporting Award for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

Davis graduated from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with an accounting degree and moved up to Springfield, where he worked for almost a year-and-a-half with a software company. After that, he briefly worked at a CPA firm. The 42-year-old is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public administration from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

“You grow as a professional much as you grow as a person,” Davis said. “You learn from your experiences, your mistakes, your successes. You advance in knowledge going back to school and working on a master's. There is professional development. That is really what has built me up. There are a million ways to build one’s self up professionally and that is how I did it.”

A few years into his position as accounting manager, Davis realized that he had found the path he always wanted for himself and couldn’t be happier working for the city.

“Right now, I am happy, he said. "I want to stay here and retire from here."

The city is currently working on the fiscal year 2017 budget and trying to get it balanced; then it will work on the audit at the end of the fiscal year. The budget for Carbondale is approximately $50 million, Davis said.

“I develop revenue projections for (the entire) budget. I work on personnel projections for (the entire) budget. I do the development of expenditures for some of the divisions," Davis said. "The others are developed by their own department heads. And then I participate in the budget meetings with the city manager, who is the budget officer. I provide guidance on what I think we can afford to do and what I think is appropriate for the budget.” 

Davis has left a mark in the Carbondale community. He has served in various positions with the Carbondale Elks Lodge No. 1243 where he was named Exalted Ruler in 2008. He was a member of the Sigma Pi fraternity in college and has remained an active alumnus, serving as chapter director from 1998 to 2004 and then again beginning in 2015. In addition, he serves on the Beta Nu Chapter Alumni Board and has been a member of the Illinois Governmental Finance Officers Association since 2000.

“I love Carbondale," he said. "I’ve been here for about two decades. Over the last 23 years, I have lived here 22. That is why I came back to Carbondale after I left, after graduation. Carbondale has a special place in my heart and I want it to be better.”