Bobbie Knight: The Golden Touch

Alabama native and Miles College President, Bobbie Knight grew up in the Birmingham neighborhood of Zion City, one of five children. In August 2019, Knight was?elected as the fifteenth president, and first woman to serve at the helm of Miles College, a private, 122-year-old, historically Black College in Fairfield, AL.

Knight received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and a Juris Doctorate from the Birmingham School of Law. She is also a graduate of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Executive Leadership Program.

Knight retired in 2016, for a brief period, after a successful career of more than 37 years employed with Alabama Power Company where she held various executive and leadership positions, including Vice President of the Birmingham Division (Alabama Power’s largest division), Vice President of Public Relations, and General Manager of Supply Chain.

Knight was still early in her retirement when she was asked to consider the prestigious opportunity at the historic Miles College (Golden Bears) following the resignation of George French Jr. Two years prior in 2017, Knight was elected to the Board of Trustees of Miles College where she served on the development committee. Then Birmingham’s Mayor-elect Randall Woodfin also tapped her to serve as co-chair of his transition team that year.

“I deliberated long and hard after I got over the initial shock of being asked to consider this opportunity and I have continuously prayed for the wisdom, strength and courage it will take to lead this institution with integrity, compassion and a servant’s heart,” Knight said during a press conference with Alabama NewsCenter announcing her appointment.

Although retired from her professional corporate career, Knight continues to exemplify and display strong leadership using her business acumen as CEO of her own company, Bobbie Knight Consulting, LLC. She also serves as Chair of the Board of Managers for the Birmingham Times Media Group. In 2018 Knight was appointed to the Birmingham Airport Authority (BAA) and continues to serve as Vice Chair of the BAA.

Knight earned recognition for her dedication to leadership with civic organizations including championing Birmingham’s downtown?Railroad Park, to serving as chair of the board for the?Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.?She has received numerous awards and accolades and her lists of past philanthropic and civic board affiliations are extensive. In 2005, Knight was named Outstanding Alumni in Public Relations by the University of Alabama School of Communications.?In 2008, Knight was a recipient of the Women’s History Award from the Birmingham Chapter of NAACP.?In 2013, she was recognized as one of the “Women Who Make a Difference” by the Birmingham News and?AL.com. In 2019, Knight was presented with a Brotherhood and Sisterhood Award by the NCCJ.

In what she considers a highlight of her career, Knight was selected as one of 21 women worldwide for the acclaimed Leadership?Foundation Fellows Program of the International Women’s Forum.?This program afforded her the opportunity to study at Harvard University and the Judge School of Business at Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

President Bobbie Knight is known for her passions, such as giving back to her community and mentoring young men and women to become leaders in theirs.?