Titan Spotlight: Tequila Smith — Powering a More Sustainable Future with Purpose and Precision
Tequila Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Reworld™
For Tequila Smith, sustainability isn’t a corporate trend or a strategic initiative. It’s a way of life shaped long before she ever stepped into a boardroom.
Raised in Holt, Alabama, Tequila learned early from her grandmother, Sister Griggs, that nothing should be wasted—not food, not fabric and certainly not potential. That philosophy would become the foundation of a career that now spans more than 25 years across the energy and utility industries, where she has consistently operated at the intersection of innovation, impact and responsibility.
Today, Tequila serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Reworld™, a global leader in sustainable waste solutions. In this role, she leads the design, implementation and measurement of enterprise-wide sustainability strategies. This includes overseeing environmental compliance, regulatory affairs and community engagement while advancing initiatives that reimagine, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover and renew.
Her work is not just about environmental stewardship. It’s about reshaping how industries think about waste, resources and long-term responsibility.
Before joining Reworld™, Tequila held several senior leadership roles across the Southern Company ecosystem. As Vice President of Sustainability at Georgia Power, she led the company’s sustainability strategy at one of the nation’s largest electricity providers. Prior to that, she served as Vice President of Charitable Giving and President of the Alabama Power Foundation, where she aligned corporate philanthropy with community impact. Her earlier role as General Manager of Renewable Energy Operations at Southern Power further cemented her expertise in advancing large-scale energy solutions.
Across each role, Tequila has built a reputation as a leader who brings both technical rigor and strategic vision, backed by a rare combination of engineering expertise, financial acumen and organizational leadership. She holds three degrees from the University of Alabama system: a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (UAB), an MBA (UAB) and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (UA)—credentials that reflect both depth and range.
Her leadership and impact have not gone unnoticed. Tequila’s most recent honors—including the 2024 Congressman John Lewis Legacy Institute Social Justice Honoree, the 2024 Change Maker Award from the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey and recognition among the Top 20 Advocacy Awards honorees—add to a long and distinguished list of accolades earned over the course of her career.
Yet, for Tequila, success has never been defined solely by title or recognition. It is equally measured by the lives she touches and the pathways she helps create for others. As a Black woman in engineering, her presence at the highest levels of leadership carries weight. In a field where representation has historically been limited, Tequila is not only breaking barriers; she is quietly redefining what leadership in STEM looks like. Her impact extends beyond her own career, inspiring the next generation, including her own daughter, to pursue paths in engineering once considered out of reach.
Beyond her corporate leadership, she is deeply committed to service and community impact. She serves on the board of B.E. Academy for Girls, an organization dedicated to empowering young girls through education and leadership development, and Raise Fashion Now, which is driving change at the intersection of sustainability and design. Through this work, she continues to invest in the next generation, ensuring that innovation and opportunity extend far beyond the boardroom.
She also serves on the corporate board of Sunbelt Solomon and the advisory board of Stonehenge Capital Community Development, further expanding her influence across both industry and community ecosystems. A proud life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the National Society of Black Engineers, she remains deeply connected to communities that have shaped and supported her journey.
Tequila’s journey is a powerful reminder that leadership is not just about where you sit, but how you show up. Whether she is shaping enterprise sustainability strategy, advising at the board level or mentoring future leaders, she brings a clear throughline: purpose-driven leadership that creates lasting impact.
She is exactly who TITAN was built for. And we are proud to call her one of our own.
Connect with Tequila:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tequilasmith
Instagram: @TequilaSmith08
Website: www.tequilasmith.com
For Tequila Smith, sustainability isn’t a corporate trend or a strategic initiative. It’s a way of life shaped long before she ever stepped into a boardroom.
