CONVERSATIONS
Salut!

 By Russell Cunningham 

Occasionally,  it is appropriate to recognize an individual in this column. The individual worthy of recognition is Tom Hamby. In May, Tom announced his retirement from AT&T after 37 years of distinguished service.

His phone company career is an American success story. After graduation from the University of Georgia as an engineer, and his service to our country in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he joined Southern Bell Telephone Company in the network operations department. He held a wide variety of assignments as his ascension in the company took him to the office of president of BellSouth-Alabama in 1999. That is when our community began to benefit from his meaningful and wide reaching contribution.

I first met Tom during a visit to the Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree in Virginia in 1999. Our association has had several common denominators since that first meeting.

Tom is a volunteer of the first order in the Boy Scouts and is currently chairman of the Greater Alabama Council. His civic contribution also has included board memberships in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and The Birmingham Museum of Art, and he is currently chairman of that board. The American Heart Association and Diabetes Association have also benefitted from his efforts.

His signal contribution has been to the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce. He was chairman of our board in 2003. He and his organization have been material to the success of the chamber and have set a high standard for support both through faithful volunteers as well as financially. The corporate community also has benefited from his capabilities.

He, of course, is highly regarded as CEO of AT&T-Alabama and serves on the board of Protective Life Insurance Company.

The notion of a more regional approach to public and civic matters has enjoyed his influence and has made notable progress since his involvement. Many other corporate leaders also share the credit for this progress.

This month’s issue of Birmingham features the beautiful people. I’m not sure if Tom is beautiful or not, but he is a nice guy. This community is better off because he has spent the last eight years with us. The social, civic and corporate community has benefitted from his practical and insightful leadership and he is deserving of our Thanks.

Tom, best wishes during your retirement. We hope this new adventure involves dogs, shotguns, fishing tackle and grandchildren.

Russell Cunningham
CEO of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce

 
Beautiful People Birmingham, Alabama

  

 

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