By Gracie Morgan
Quentin Riggins, Co-Chair of the Johnson Institute Board of Directors, was recently elected as the first Black president pro tempore of the Auburn University Board of Trustees.
The Montgomery native earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing and distributive education from Auburn University in 1989, where he also led the Auburn football team to win three consecutive SEC championships under the coaching leadership of Coach Pat Dye from 1987-1989. Beyond his undergraduate career, Riggins continued to serve the university as a sideline reporter for the Auburn Sports Network for 25 years and became a member of the Auburn University Board of Trustees in 2017.
In 2011, Riggins was named the senior vice president for governmental and corporate affairs at Alabama Power Company. Additionally, Riggins coordinates the grassroots and corporate relations programs within Alabama Power Co. He still serves in this role today and has led numerous councils and committees within Alabama Power.
Prior to fulfilling his current position at Alabama Power, Riggins worked extensively within Alabama state government, achieving nearly 25 years of meaningful experience in governmental affairs. While working for the Alabama state government, Riggins worked for former Alabama House Speaker Seth Hammett as a legislative analyst and was appointed as the director of legislative affairs by Governor Bob Riley. Following his work with Governor Riley, Riggins served as the senior vice president of governmental affairs for the Business Council of Alabama, the state’s leading advocate for businesses. In this role, he led the governmental affairs efforts for over 5,000 corporate members of the BCA in both the state and federal government. Riggins’ passion for governmental affairs encouraged him to establish his own governmental affairs firm, Quentin Riggins and Associates, in Montgomery prior to beginning his career with Alabama Power Company.
A highly successful and servant leader, Riggins has dedicated his career to serving his community and the state of Alabama. In past years, Riggins has served on the boards of Leadership Alabama, the Baptist Foundation, and the Energy Institute of Alabama. Currently, in addition to serving the Johnson Institute as Board co-chair, Riggins is on the boards of Grandview Medical Center, the Women’s Foundation of Alabama, and the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center.
Mr. Riggins’ lifelong devotion to his community has left a lasting impact on the state of Alabama and will continue as he begins his role as the president pro tempore of the Auburn Board of Trustees.