Andy Jones has worn many hats within WARM NC, figuratively speaking. Since starting with the organization in February 2018, he’s served as volunteer coordinator, program development coordinator, hurricane recovery coordinator, community outreach, deputy director and chief strategy officer.

Most recently, he took on the role of CEO.

In mid-July, following a two-month search, the Wilmington-based nonprofit organization announced that it had selected Jones as the new CEO after he’d served as its interim CEO during the search.

Earlier this year WARM NC’s longtime head JC Lyle announced that she was stepping down to take a position with Wesley CDC.

WARM NC, short for Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry, has roots in the United Methodist Church. The organization aims to “repair, rebuild and make homes accessible and to inspire service, generosity and hope,” according to its website.

According to the WARM NC history page, the organization began in 1996 in response to hurricanes Bertha and Fran. “Volunteers from across our region were organized by leaders of the Wilmington District of the Methodist Church to repair the damaged homes of low-income and elderly residents,” which ultimately unearthed an ongoing issue of substandard housing, the page states.

Today, WARM NC still works to improve the living conditions of low-income homeowners. It’s helped more than 2,000 families in Southeastern North Carolina.

Jones and his wife, Becca, moved their family from Georgia to Wilmington in April 2016 when Becca accepted a call to minister to children at First Baptist Church Wilmington. Both are heavily involved in ministry and have a long career working in churches and doing outreach work. Before their move, Andy worked as a youth minister, minister of faith development and minister of missional outreach for 15 years.

To help his wife pursue her dreams, Andy Jones decided to be a stay-at-home dad to their four children. During this time, he was also an Uber driver and worked part-time at a funeral home.

“The old saying goes, ‘The days are long, but the years are short,’” he said. “That definitely is the case. There were some long days in there for sure, but I think that I have relationships with my children that I wouldn’t have had otherwise had I not had that intentional time at home with them. It was good to be with them. I loved being able to support my family and support my wife in that way to follow her calling to this place.”

One of the main reasons Andy Jones took an interest in WARM NC is its service to others.
“For many of the folks on staff, the work that we’re doing really comes as an outpouring of their faith,” he said. “Not everybody, but we all have faith in something. That was part of the draw for me, being connected to a group. At the previous church that I served at, I did work along the lines of service to others and being able to help folks who are less fortunate than we are. Being able to use my hands and get out into the field and do some of the repairs that we’re doing, all of that was intriguing and exciting as a way to give back.”

As he settles into his new role, he’s also taking the time to challenge himself with new goals and visions, many of which are centered around growth and learning.

“I think anytime we take on a new role, there’s opportunities to grow into that,” he said. “I don’t think anybody gets to any level and realizes, ‘Oh, I’m there.’ There’s always more to learn and more to do. I’ve enjoyed, at each level, recognizing each of those places is a bit of a stretch and growing into those roles, continuing to be hungry, continuing to be a lifelong learner in all of those places.”

One way he does this is by reading books on business and leadership and continuing to want to learn, which directly benefits the organization too.

“One of the things that I hope we can always be is a teaching organization,” he said. “We have the opportunities at different points to apply for internships or to invite interns to work alongside us.”

The organization has partnered with local community colleges, University of North Carolina Wilmington and the Duke University School of Divinity.

As for his approach to leadership, Andy Jones said he prefers the collaborative approach, ensuring he’s empowering his team and working alongside them to come to decisions.

“I am most likely not ever going to make a unilateral decision,” he said.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Georgia College and State University in May 2000 and a master’s in divinity from McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University in December 2004. He also earned a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University in April 2022.

“Doing the work that I’m doing, even as I sit behind a desk now, directing the organization and the work going on in the field, is really a good representation of what I feel that Christ has called us to do,” he said. “A lot of folks here on staff would see that as an outpouring of their faith; they want to do good, and they want to give back. Whatever the reason, we can all find a place here to do that good work that we’re doing in the community.”