Duke Energy names Melody Birmingham, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. Birmingham will have responsibility for the information technology, administrative services and supply chain organizations.
Before this new role, Birmingham served as senior vice president, supply chain and chief procurement officer for Duke Energy. In this role, she is responsible for the sourcing and supply chain functions for the enterprise’s regulated and commercial operations. She has more than 25 years of executive and leadership experience in the electric utility and automotive manufacturing industries.
Previously, Birmingham served as state president of Duke Energy’s Indiana operations, the state’s largest electric utility. She was responsible for the regulated utility’s financial performance and customer experience, in addition to rates and regulatory strategy, government affairs, community relations and economic development.
Prior to becoming Indiana’s state president, Birmingham served as senior vice president of Midwest delivery operations with responsibility for the company’s electric distribution system in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Prior to the Duke Energy/Progress Energy merger in July 2012, Birmingham served as vice president of the Southern Region for Progress Energy Carolinas with responsibilities for the distribution organization.
Birmingham holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration from Strayer University. She completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School. In 2016, Birmingham was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Terre Haute, Ind.
Birmingham is a Paul Harris Fellow, a distinction awarded to her by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. She was inducted into the Krannert School of Business – Business Hall of Fame by Purdue University. Birmingham was also recognized by Purdue University Polytechnic Institute with the Distinguished Technology Alumni Award. In 2018, she was recognized by Indiana’s Gov. Eric Holcomb with the Indiana Sagamores of the Wabash Award, the state’s highest honor bestowed to a civilian for their service to the state. In 2019, Birmingham was recognized by Black Enterprise as one of the Most Powerful Women in Corporate America, and she was recognized in Savoy magazine in 2020.
Birmingham has served on numerous community, state and industry boards, including the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, South Carolina Governor’s School of Science and Math Foundation Board, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Central Indiana, Special Olympics Indiana, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Indiana Energy Association and American Association of Blacks in Energy. She is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC). Birmingham is currently an independent director on the board of 1st Source Bank.
