SMECO Appoints New Senior Nice President

SMECO welcomes the addition of Campbell Hawkins, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, to lead SMECO’s newly created Strategy and Innovation Department.

Hawkins has been tasked with evaluating emerging technologies and developing strategic initiatives that promote an innovative approach to customer service. Sonja Cox, SMECO president and CEO, said, “The utility industry is changing, principally driven by new technologies and higher customer expectations.” She explained, “With innovations such as electric vehicles, solar panels on homes, and increasing battery storage capabilities, SMECO is looking forward to implementing the kinds of products and services that will benefit our members.”

In his new role, Hawkins will investigate and identify areas of opportunity to improve SMECO’s product offerings and to expand and improve upon SMECO’s technological capabilities and customer-centered services. “Electric co-ops are innovative by their very nature,” Hawkins said. “Our founders saw a need in their communities and created customer-owned co-ops. They provided their friends and neighbors with the electric service that has become vital to everyday life. I am looking forward to carrying on that tradition by working with the talented team at SMECO, an electric co-op that is taking the lead on progressive and forward-thinking initiatives.”

Hawkins has more than 20 years of utility experience, most recently as senior director of the Innovation and Transformation Office at Xcel Energy in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He also served as vice president of customer service at Duquesne Light in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and director of customer operations for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Originally from Georgia, Hawkins holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, and a master’s degree from Webster University School of Business and Technology in St. Louis, Missouri. He also served as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army.