The feverish pace of the telecommunications business is about to get even
more frenzied in the wake of the America Online - Time Warner, merger as
well as other recent mergers in this industry. This is likely
to trigger a new flurry of record setting mergers and acquisitions raising
the stakes in the telecommunications field even higher.
One Deltan that seems to thrive in this environment is BellSouth executive, Carolyn Manning a native of Greenwood. Manning has spent the better part of 30 years working in the telecommunications field in various capacities. All told, there isn't much she hasn't seen in this industry and change is nothing new to her.
"The telecommunications field is ever-changing," says Manning from her Greenwood Office. "That's one of the fascinating aspects of this industry. There are new developments and applications every day."
Two years ago, Manning moved back home to Greenwood where she was named Delta Area Manager for BellSouth. Besides her Greenwood office, she has offices in Greenville and Cleveland. Traveling the Delta's highways and back roads on a daily basis and being involved with many Delta communities is part of the job.
As Delta Area Manager, Manning is directly responsible for developing, managing and directing local public relations, media relations, public affairs, community relations and employee relations. She is also authorized to represent BellSouth and the corporation as a spokesperson in matters of company policy to the news media, local government, to community leaders and constituency groups. Some of Manning's specific duties as BellSouth Delta Area Manager include economic development, market development/support, educational relations and management of public policy issues and legislative matters. In all, Manning's responsibilities are extremely important and she is the one who must make sure that BellSouth's ship sails perfectly in smooth and rough waters. Its a big responsibility.
Manning's various positions within the telecommunications industry have at times taken her far from the Delta. She has lived and/or worked in Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas, and Jackson. Along the way she has somehow managed to earn an M.B.A. at Colorado State University and has raised two children: a son, Clyde, Jr. who is a physician at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia and a daughter, Sidney, who is an art and secondary school teacher in Kosciusko.
During her career, Manning has received numerous outstanding achievement awards and was honored by the Mississippi Business Journal as one of Mississippi's leading business women in 1997. While working for AT&T, a period that lasted over 20 years, Manning held several high-level managerial positions including serving as the head of regional operations for 14 southern states as well as regional sales and service in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, and Jackson. One thing Manning accomplished while at AT&T was initiating a project that entailed the implementation of a special program designed to regain market share for AT&T in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and west Tennessee. That project was extremely successful.
Although her accomplishments have been many, Manning is quick to share the credit with others. She believes in dedicated team work and believes in giving back by working in the community - something she says she learned growing up in Greenwood.
"I find great satisfaction in helping people perform at an optimum level," says Manning.
Born and raised in Greenwood, Manning went to Greenwood High School. She married Clyde Manning, also a telecommunications executive. After graduating from high school, while working in an entry level position at South Central Bell in Greenwood, she commuted to Delta State University earning a degree in business. Motherhood was also in the mix during this time. She credits much of her business success to Delta State and the management degree she received. Manning specifically points to the influence that Dr. Lawton Owens, Chairman Emeritus, Division of Management and Marketing had on her management style.
"I learned from him the importance of setting high expectations for those people I am responsible for; encouraging their creativity, supporting their individualism and applauding their success," says Manning. "I felt back then, while I was at Delta State, that corporate America was intriguing and I knew that a business degree for a woman at that particular time would be of great value."
Not long after finishing DSU, the Mannings moved to Washington, D.C. where her husband worked for BellSouth. Manning's first job in Washington was not in the telecommunications business, but for the Republican National Party. While working for the party one of her most memorable positions was serving as the Deputy Administrator for President Reagan's Inaugural.
"That was a job that really pulled together the use of all of the organizational and project management skills that I had developed at that point," says Manning. "My responsibility was to solicit and coordinate 6,000 volunteers to man the parade and the nine Inaugural balls. From this position, I made a lot of contacts and actually had several opportunities to continue working in the political arena. However, at the same time, I had my resume out in the telecommunications field because that's what I enjoyed and where I wanted to be."
Manning was offered a job at AT&T and spent the next 15 years moving up through the management ranks. While at AT&T, Manning received many awards over for her service.
In 1987, the Mannings found themselves in Atlanta where Clyde had been transferred. In 1995, the Mannings came back to Mississippi living in Jackson. Greenwood was their final stop.
"My husband retired and it was at a time when I could also retire from AT&T," says Manning. "BellSouth was familiar with my work and it was an easy transition for me to accept a job offer from them. It was ironic that I would be able to come back home and work in an industry that I loved so much. We were thrilled to be able to come back to the Delta."
Besides her responsibilities at BellSouth, Manning is involved in many community and economic developed associations and projects. She also serves on several boards such as Planters Bank, Delta State University Foundation, District Workforce Development Council, Delta Workforce Investment, Washington County Industrial Foundation, most Delta area chambers of commerce, and several United Way Boards.
"One of the main reasons we came back to the Delta is because of the people," says Manning. "After living in so many places, we decided that ultimately what life is all about is friends, family, relationships and the opportunity to contribute to your community and church. The Delta has afforded us this and it is an area that we love. The hospitality and kindness here is beyond anything we have experienced anywhere else."
Manning says that the Delta is a good place for women in business.
"Because of my particular position, I have had the opportunity to participate in many different communities in the Delta and through this I have been able to develop many relationships with many businesswomen here," says Manning. "It's exciting to see the role that these businesswomen are playing and how involved they are in the future of the Delta and Mississippi. They are playing a big role in helping the Delta move forward into a future that not only preserves the way of life we have now, yet make us sound economically. And, that's a benefit to all of us."