Among her other accolades, Aurora native Lisa Guion Jones is a 2012 inductee in the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame, which honors innovative leaders in the fields of adult and continuing education from around the globe.

In conjunction with the National Council for Continuing Education and Training Conference, Jones, one of 12 adult and continuing-education leaders from around the world, was inducted Oct. 15, 2012, in Reno, Nevada. The elite group, in its 20 years of existence, has only inducted 280 members worldwide.

In November 2013, Jones was elected to the Board of Directors for IACE HOF, with her term beginning in January. A long list of other accomplishments and accolades graces Jones’ resume, including her recognition for being a Cooperative Extension scholar-practitioner, noted for assisting national and international extension educators in acquiring the skills needed to design, implement and evaluate educational programs that address the complex and changing needs of their learners. Cooperative Extension is the world’s largest publicly financed provider of informal adult and continuing education.

Jones graduated from N.C. State University in 1997 with a doctoral degree in adult and higher education and holds two BA degrees: one in business management and the other in communications. She also received a master of public administration degree focused on higher education administration from N.C. State, where she now serves as a professor of agriculture and extension education and assistant dean for diversity, outreach and engagement in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Influencing the next generation of extension adult and continuing educations scholars and practitioners has also been an integral part of her life’s work. While serving as tenured faculty at N.C. State and the University of Florida, Jones taught, mentored and guided national and international undergraduate and graduate students; she has also coordinated international study-abroad experiences for students.

“My passion is inspiring other students from rural communities to pursue their dreams,” said Jones. “I am also a motivational speaker who enjoys encouraging middle school and high school students to not let where they are from determine where they can go in life.”