By Jessica Jones
Robert Crenshaw, a native of Atmore, Alabama, is a long standing supporter of local communities in and around Birmingham. From his company that provides computer services, to the time he dedicates to those with mental health issues, Crenshaw has and continues to serve those who are in need.
Crenshaw serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Birmingham Crisis Center, a community organization that provides sexual assault, mental health and counseling services.
“It serves a large constituency,” Crenshaw said. “There is a large number of African-Americans that are served who live in group homes. A lot of those group homes don’t give you sufficient food and some of [the people they serve] are in various stages of their recovery and need help with basic physical hygiene. Instead of rape victims going to the emergency room where they are triaged and somewhat embarrassed, law enforcement officers can bring them to the center and the center will give them a change of clothes and there are qualified nurses to collect the evidence.”
Crenshaw graduated from Alabama A&M with a degree in electronic engineering technology. He has worked for Aerospace and various other companies and, is an Air Force veteran. Crenshaw came to Birmingham when he applied for a job with Bell South where he worked information systems and various technical support areas.
It was his first-hand experience in the area of technology that gave him the skills and the desire to establish his company, Creative Technology Solutions, LLC.
“I started my company because I’ve had a lot of experience with technology from designing circuits, to building stuff,” Crenshaw said. “So I’ve had a lot of community experience.”
His experience combined with leisure time as a retiree gave him the ability to become the solution to a problem he’d been troubled by.
“I’ve always been concerned with the technology gap between the minority community and I wanted to do something to narrow that gap and I could possibly make some money at,” he said.
To bridge the gap, Crenshaw does consulting and advises companies on the type of networking that should be purchased and the best equipment that will fit in their business so his clients are able to see a return on their technological investment.
Creative Technology Solutions also supports several churches and nonprofit organizations.
In addition to his company, Crenshaw is the immediate past president for Alabama A&M University National Alumni Association. He is a member of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church where he serves as a deacon and is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. He is a board member at the McCoy Center and a member of the Irondale Zoning Abatement Board. His favorite hobby is Golf.
