Alabama Power Company on Friday afternoon announced three leadership changes aimed at bolstering already-strong customer experience and community support operations.
Effective immediately, Tony Smoke has been elected senior vice president of Marketing and Economic Development; Myla Calhoun has been named vice president of Birmingham Division; and Tequila Smith has been elected vice president of Charitable Giving.
“These individuals are strong leaders within the company and in the communities we serve,” stated Alabama Power chairman, president and CEO Mark Crosswhite. “They bring invaluable experience and knowledge to their new roles that will help us continue to meet customer needs today and for the future.”
As senior vice president of Marketing and Economic Development, Smoke will oversee the company’s marketing, economic development and business development functions. He boasts more than 35 years of experience at Alabama Power and most recently served as vice president of Birmingham Division. Previous roles include vice president of Marketing and vice president of Eastern Division.
Additionally, Smoke currently serves on the board of trustees for Jacksonville State University. He is a member of the board of directors for Birmingham Promise, Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame, Jefferson County Industrial Development Authority, Alabama Institute of the Deaf and Blind Foundation, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, March of Dimes of Alabama and the 4 Little Girls Memorial Fund.
Calhoun, taking over as vice president of Birmingham Division, will lead the company’s operations, sales, economic and community development, and external affairs activities in the metro Birmingham area for the six-county region in north central Alabama. Since 2016, she has held the significant roles of president of the Alabama Power Foundation and vice president of Charitable Giving for Alabama Power.
Prior to joining the company, Calhoun was general counsel and senior vice president of Regional Development and Public Policy for the Birmingham Business Alliance, where she led diverse teams focused on regional revitalization, workforce development, education initiatives and young professionals’ engagement.
She is a 2018 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow and a member of the advisory board for Stonehenge Capital, a nationally recognized leader in community development finance. Calhoun is also a member of the Alabama Workforce Council and serves on the boards of directors for Children’s of Alabama, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Opportunity Alabama, Ed Farm, the Birmingham Museum of Art, Indian Springs School and the Virginia Samford Theatre.
As vice president of Charitable Giving, Smith will lead the company’s philanthropic, volunteerism and community support initiatives. She holds more than 20 years of experience in the utility industry. Smith most recently served as Alabama Power’s Energy Services director, where she led an impressive team of energy conservation experts in managing development and implementation of energy efficiency for commercial and industrial businesses, as well as federal customers throughout the Yellowhammer State. She also oversaw the growth of non-kWh sales through customer partnerships in LED lighting, smart HVAC and energy automation.
Smith is active in the community as a member of the UAB School of Engineering Advisory Board. She further serves as a 2020 Torchbearer for the Junior League of Birmingham’s Community of Lights Campaign, promoting awareness of the Junior League’s five-year fundraising initiative supporting One Place Metro Alabama Justice Center.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
