Jay Kilroy Joins Willis Investment Counsel

GAINESVILLE - Willis Investment Counsel is pleased to announce that James J. ("Jay") Kilroy has joined the firm as its newest principal, where his responsibilities will include equity securities analysis and portfolio management.

Kilroy, an accomplished financial analyst with a background in investment banking, portfolio management, and strategic management, comes to Willis Investment Counsel from Abingdon Capital Management in McLean, Virginia. His seven-year tenure at Abingdon was preceded by two years as an equity research associate at Bear, Stearns & Co. in New York, and four years as an associate in the Corporate Finance Division of SunTrust Equitable Securities in Atlanta.

"As a securities analyst with significant portfolio management responsibilities, Jay adds substantial experience, breadth, and depth to our investment process," said Bob Pennington, Willis Investment Counsel's CEO. "At Abingdon Capital Management, Jay developed investment models, qualitative reporting systems, and scenario analyses that contributed substantially to the fund's notable success."

Kilroy holds a BS in Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.