Jonas named KIUC chief financial officer

LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative announced the promotion of Karissa Jonas to the role of chief financial officer and vice president of finance.

The announcement was made by David Bissell, president and CEO of KIUC, Tuesday.

“Karissa has been a member of our management team since her arrival at KIUC, and her proven expertise in the fundamentals of utility accounting coupled with her expertise in the management of financial assets and cash management makes us certain she is the right individual to ensure KIUC’s continued financial success,” Bissell said.

Jonas began her career with the utility in 2005, when she was hired as the co-op’s controller. Her new duties will include the overall financial management of the cooperative, along with the supervision of all accounting, financial and warehouse personnel.

“I am honored to have been selected for the CFO position and look forward to contributing to the strategic and financial success of KIUC,” Jonas said.

Starting her career at Ernst & Young as an auditor, Jonas earned her CPA in California in 1992. Her career continued as an assistant vice president at Foothill Capital Corporation, a commercial finance company providing asset-based lending and money management services to companies in financial distress or in high-risk industries.

After a five-year hiatus as a stay-at-home mom, she and her family relocated to Kaua‘i where she worked as the controller at Aloha Lumber Company before joining the co-op.

Jonas earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration with a major in accounting and finance from the University of Arizona, where she graduated summa cum laude in 1989. She resides in Koloa with her husband and two children.