Darlene received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Montevallo. She is honored for being selected for the past 3 years as Birmingham’s Top 60 that features the top 60 influencers across a broad range of industries and Darlene was recognized the past 3 years as Who’s Who in Accounting. In 2019 she was included in the Top 100 National Influential Execs in Finance. Her accounting firm was also nominated for ICIC’s 2019 Inner City 100 Award. The Inner City 100 is a national ranking of America’s fastest-growing urban businesses in inner cities. Darlene is a member of the Class of 2022 – Leadership Birmingham. She completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program at Babson College in the Fall of 2018 and Emerging Leaders through the U.S. Small Business Administration in 2017.
Darlene was most recently appointed in late 2022 to serve as the Chair of the Advisory Board for Miles College Women’s Business Center. She was appointed by Mayor Randall Woodfin to Birmingham Airport Authority Board of Directors in 2018 and she served as Treasurer and the Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee through September 2021, Board Chair 2021 -2023, and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Birmingham Airport Authority. Darlene is a member of the inaugural Board of Directors for National Black Empowerment Council formed in 2021 and she serves on their executive committee as Treasurer. In February 2021, she was appointed to the National Black Bank Fund where she serves as Treasurer. Darlene is a member of Kiwanis Club of Birmingham and currently serves on the Board of Directors in 2020 and is the past Secretary 2021-2022. She also serves on Regions Bank Advisory Board for the Birmingham market and is a member of the Small Business Council for the City of Birmingham for a second term and led the City Services Committee during her first term. She continues to lend her talents to other organizations in focus group opportunities with Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Prosper Birmingham, and Congressional Black Caucus to name a few. You can also find Darlene in the “classroom” where she enjoys facilitating workshops, teaching course topics relating to entrepreneurship and accounting for businesses.
Darlene is the mother of one son, Christian who is a Spring 2021 graduate from MSU in Denver, CO with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and works as a Lead Accountant at RAM Firm. As Darlene says it best, this is by far her most challenging job, yet her greatest accomplishment in life. Family brings her the most joy! She is a native of Lake Charles, LA and has been in Birmingham, AL for more than 30 years and both are home to her. She enjoys cooking, wine tasting, traveling the world, flower/vegetable gardening and reading. She simply loves life!