By Alabama Newscenter Staff
Alabama Power on Friday announced leadership changes to enhance customer experience and community support.
- Tony Smoke has been elected senior vice president of Marketing and Economic Development.
- Myla Calhoun has been named vice president of Birmingham Division.
- Tequila Smith has been elected vice president of Charitable Giving.
These changes are effective immediately.
“These individuals are strong leaders within the company and in the communities we serve,” said 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.
Smoke has more than 35 years of experience at Alabama Power and most recently served as vice president of Birmingham Division. He held positions of increasing responsibility in Power Delivery and Birmingham Division before moving into the role of vice president of Marketing in 2014 and vice president of Eastern Division in 2017.
Smoke serves on the board of trustees for Jacksonville State University. He is a member of the boards of directors for Birmingham Promise, Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame, Jefferson County Economic and 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.
In addition to his Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Auburn University, Smoke earned a Juris Doctor from the Birmingham School of Law.
As vice president of Birmingham Division, Calhoun 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 roles of president of the Alabama Power Foundation and vice president of Charitable Giving for Alabama Power.
Prior to joining Alabama Power, 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.
Calhoun 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. She is a member of the Alabama Workforce Counciland 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.
She is a graduate of Spelman College and the University of Alabama School of Law.
As vice president of Charitable Giving, Smith will lead the company’s philanthropic, volunteerism and community support initiatives. She most recently served as Energy Services director where she led a 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 state. Smith also oversaw the growth of non-kWh sales through customer partnerships in LED lighting, smart HVAC and energy automation.
With more than 20 years of experience in the utility industry, Smith has held positions of increasing responsibility in the Southern Company system, with roles in Fuel Services, Operations Services, Resource Planning and Transmission. She served as assistant to the vice president of Regional External Affairs at Georgia Power and general manager of Renewable Energy Operations at Southern Power.
Smith is active in the community as a member of the UAB School of Engineering Advisory Board. She also 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.
She is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and a Master of Business Administration. She also earned a Master of Arts in communication studies: organizational leadership from the University of Alabama.
Alabama Power Company, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), provides safe, reliable, affordable electricity to more than 1.4 million customers across the state. Learn more at www.alabamapower.com.
