Alexia Borden’s trajectory at Alabama Power has been rapid and in one direction — up.
Borden last year became senior vice president and general counsel of Alabama Power, only a year after joining the company. She is both the youngest person and first woman ever to hold the position.
She also is a 2018 Yellowhammer Woman of Impact. The honor comes a year after Yellowhammer named her among the Yellowhammer Power & Influence 50, recognizing the 50 movers and shakers in business and politics.
Borden, who grew up in Atlanta and Pensacola, Florida, graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in industrial engineering and then worked in the U.S. Embassy in Paris. Later, she attained a law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law and joined the firm of Balch & Bingham’s Birmingham office.
Borden moved to Montgomery because of career opportunities for her husband, Gray Borden, now a federal magistrate judge.
Alexia Borden told RSVP magazine in 2013 that she appreciated the ability to balance work and family that Balch & Bingham afforded her.
“I love the flexibility of working in a private firm,” she said.
Borden’s promotion at Alabama Power represents a rapid ascent at one of the state’s most powerful companies. She had joined the firm in 2016, after a decade of practicing environmental law. She has family ties to the industry. Her father, Paul Bowers, is president and CEO of Georgia Power.
At Alabama Power, Borden proved herself running the company’s governmental affairs shop, monitoring the state government and lobbying on issues of importance to the utility.
Borden told RSVP that her parents were the biggest influences on her life. She said her father taught her patience and perseverance, while her mother imparted kindness and thoughtfulness.
Borden serves on several civic and charitable boards, including the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and the Baptist Health Foundation. She also has participated in Leadership Montgomery and served as president of EAT South, an urban teaching farm.
Borden and Gov. Kay Ivey will be among 20 Alabama women honored in a March 29 awards event in Birmingham. Event details and registration may be found here.
@BrendanKKirby is a senior political reporter at LifeZette and author of“Wicked Mobile.”
