Trend: What motivated you to enter a business that was almost exclusively a male domain when you started out?

Jeter-McAvoy: I became an accounting major in college with guidance from my father. I had an affinity for math but he felt a business degree would serve me better in the long run than a math degree. At the time I graduated from college the only career choice with an accounting degree was public accounting and fortunately for me it worked out.

Trend: What were some of the obstacles you had to overcome?

Jeter-McAvoy: Looking back, I think the obstacles began in college. In most of my accounting classes, there were at most three females. One of the other female students and I began a support system and scheduled our classes together. The professor always challenged us, and I think we were probably better students because of this.

When I began working full-time in 1973, there were not many women in management positions. I was the first female hired in a local office of a national public accounting firm with a professional staff of 60. In the beginning there was lots of teasing, comments and ribbing, as well as an attitude of "What are we supposed to do with her?" One time I was given the task of carrying all the audit bags and adding machines for the audit staff at a hospital. This was before calculators and those adding machines were heavy, but since I did the job without complaint, the next time some of the men helped. This was their way of testing me and seeing if I could take the heat.

One of the hardest obstacles I faced early on was when I showed up for an audit and the client was not comfortable with a female and sent me back to the office. This probably would have really bothered me except for the reaction of my co-workers who were not happy with the client, very supportive of me, but had to respect the client’s request. We learned to discuss staffing with the client prior to my showing up and avoided this ever happening again. 

Trend: Who mentored you?

Jeter-McAvoy: My first mentor was my father who encouraged and supported me throughout college and in my early years of working. After college another female accounting major and I developed a support system since we were both having similar experiences although in different cities. Having her as a sounding board early on was a great help. One of my college professors was a great mentor, continuing to challenge me to accept different experiences until his death over 15 years after I graduated.

My first boss really wanted to hire a female staff accountant and worked to make it a success with his constant encouragement and support. Over the years I have had many more male mentors than female, but I think this was by default since there were no females in upper management roles in the early 1970s. Today, women are in management positions, boardrooms, presidents of companies, and in decision-making positions, so it is easier to have female role models and mentors.

Trend: Describe ways that you have helped other women make progress in their careers.

Jeter-McAvoy: I don’t feel there is any magic way or right way to mentor. You just need to listen to the other person, encourage them and help them as much as you can. We should not be afraid to help other women; it will not hold us back. And as other women are successful, it helps all of us.

I mentored a woman interested in buying her family business from her father. She had worked in the family firm for 15 years and knew the business but had never run a business. Over a period of time we worked on business management skills, budgeting and personnel issues. I encouraged her, advised her and worked with her on both her successes and failures. We met monthly for about two years after she bought the business until she became comfortable in her new roles.

Training and encouraging young female staff members is another way I have mentored. Sometimes it is by exposing them to new concepts; other times it is helping them work through challenges or introducing them to other professionals. This mentoring has included encouraging a woman (who had not worked since college 20 years earlier) to take the CPA exam, working with young women on learning the "ropes" and in training young women.

Another time I mentored a female business owner by helping her decide whether to buy an older building and renovate it for her office. We spent time analyzing the pros and cons of purchasing the building, long-term uses for the building and projected market value growth. After this process, she was able to make an informed decision with confidence.

Trend: Women still don’t make the salaries of their male counterparts or sit on as many boards or run as many companies. What will it take to change that?

Jeter-McAvoy: Women have made progress in the last thirty years, and I believe as time passes more women will be the decision-makers and this inequity will continue to lessen.

A recent article in the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported the results of performance evaluations of 58,000 senior level executives. Female managers ranked higher than their male counterparts in 20 out of 23 categories. The women’s strengths were motivating others, fostering communication, goal-setting and listening to others. The female executives also outperformed the men at producing high quality work, recognizing trends and generating new ideas and acting on them. The primary categories where women fell behind were confidence and executive presence. Gaining confidence and executive presence are skills that can be cultivated, so women over time will acquire these qualities as well.

Trend: What achievements are you proudest of?

Jeter-McAvoy: I am happy I have been successful in my career and put to good use the education my parents provided me. I am presently in a senior management position at my company and know my opinions are valued. My recent appointment by Governor Bredesen to the State Board of Accountancy is a big honor. Winning the ATHENAF Award was also a tremendous honor and one that I feel recognizes my mentoring to other women and my desire to give back to the community. Receiving the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts outstanding member award was also a big honor since it was recognition for service on a national level.