Debbie Hawkins and Joyce Brooks
Alabama Power Company
Providing safe and reliable electricity to over 1.4 million customers for more than a century. In 2008 ranked No. 1 in overall customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates.
Favorite Quote: "When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." Helen Keller
Profile Name: Debbie Hawkins
Title: Area Manager Birmingham Division - South Region
Company/Organization: Alabama Power
Address: 600 North 18th Street, Birmingham, Alabama 35203
Phone: 205-226-1742
Fax: 205-226-1795
E-mail: dfhawkin@southernco.com
Website: www.alabamapower.com
Job description: Debbie Hawkins is Area Manager for the South Region of Birmingham Division. She provides oversight for the local accounting operations for the South Region which includes managing four business offices that provide customer service to residential, commercial and industrial customers south of the city of Birmingham. Debbie is also responsible for external relations in south Jefferson and Shelby counties.
Favorite Awards & Honors: 2007 Partners in Philanthropy Award; Project Corporate Leadership; Leadership Shelby County;
Education: University of Alabama, Birmingham; B.S., Accounting; Samford University, MBA; completed the Executive Education Program at Emory University
Personal Business Philosophy: You define your own life. Don't let other people write your script.
Advice to women in business: Trust your own instincts - your intuition doesn't lie.
Best advice ever received: Always be yourself.
Secret to surviving in business: You can't change other people, but you can change the way you respond to them.
Secret to dealing with employees: Communicate honestly and openly and recognize that your success depends to a large degree on your employees.
Primary volunteer and community involvement: Alabama Power Service Organization, CASA of Shelby County (Court Appointed Special Advocates); Southern Women's Committee of Fifty, Hoover Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees, Shelby County EIDA board chair; United Way of Central Alabama Shelby County Campaign Chair; American Heart Association Shelby County Campaign Chair; Greater Shelby County Education Foundation
Favorite place or way to relax: At the beach
Profile Name: Joyce E. Brooks
Title: Area Manager Birmingham Division - North Region
Company/Organization: Alabama Power Company
Address: 600 North 18th Street
Birmingham, Alabama 35203
Phone: 205-226-1969
Fax: 205-226-1017
Email: jbrooks@southernco.com
Website: www.alabamapower.com
Job description: Joyce E. Brooks is an Area Manager for the Birmingham Division. In this role, she provides oversight for the local accounting operations for the North Region of the Birmingham Division. She is also responsible for the external relations for the City Birmingham and Jefferson County.
Favorite Awards & Honors: United Way of Central Alabama Cabinet; Project Corporate Leadership; MainStreet Birmingham Board; Toastmasters
International
Education: B.S., University of South of Alabama, Mobile; Electrical
Engineering, M.S., University of Alabama, Birmingham
Family: Married to Ivor J. Brooks, the Fire Chief for the City of
Birmingham. We have four children; Ivon, Nyyah, Jae and Matthew.
Personal Business Philosophy: Never under estimate the value and impact of the three R's: reputation, resilience and relationships
Advice to women in business: Never compromise your faith, family,
principles or integrity to achieve "success".
Best advice ever received: The time to prepare for an opportunity is
before the opportunity is presented.
Secret to surviving in business: Do not take anything personal.
Your strongest inspiration: My strongest inspiration comes from my faith In God and my greatest inspiration comes from my Mother.
Secret to dealing with employees: Set consistent, clear expectations and ensure each employee knows that they will be treated with fairness and respect.
What most people don't realize about me: I am just as happy being an introvert as I am extravert.
Favorite Place or way to relax: My favorite place is at home sitting
with my husband watching Jae and Matthew playing and listening to them laughing, laughing and laughing some more. My boy's laughter is like music to my ears.
Favorite Restaurant: Fire and Ice.
