Hilda Pinnix-Ragland facts for kids

Hilda Pinnix-Ragland, born in May 1955, is a successful American business leader and a generous person who helps others. She made history as the first African-American woman to become a vice president at Duke Energy, a big power company. Before that, she was also the first African-American woman to hold a vice president role at Progress Energy Inc.

Hilda Pinnix-Ragland has served on many important boards, including RTI International and 8 Rivers Capital, an energy technology company. She is often the first African-American woman to join these boards. She also leads the board of trustees at North Carolina A&T State University. In 2017, she helped write a book called The Energy Within Us: An Illuminating Perspective from Five Trailblazers.

Early Life and School

Hilda Pinnix-Ragland grew up in Hillsborough, North Carolina, on her family's farm. Her family had owned land there for five generations. In 1965, when she was a child, she was escorted to Aycock Elementary School by members of the United States Marshals Service. This happened during the time when schools in the United States were being integrated, meaning students of all races could attend the same schools.

As a teenager, Hilda was very active. She was on the track and field team at Orange High School. She was also a Girl Scout and participated in the 4-H youth program. While still in school, she got her bus driver license in Orange County. She was one of the first female school bus drivers there. She also worked at her uncle's gas station. She finished high school in 1973.

Hilda went on to college at North Carolina A&T State University. She graduated in 1977 with high honors, earning a degree in accounting. She was also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Later, in 1986, she earned a master's degree in finance from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. She also studied leadership at Harvard University and taxation at St. John's University.

Career Highlights

After college, Hilda Pinnix-Ragland moved to New York City. She worked as an auditor for companies like Colgate-Palmolive. In 1980, she returned to North Carolina and started working for Carolina Power & Light. This company later became Progress Energy. She was the only female auditor and person of color on her team at Progress Energy.

Hilda moved from auditing to other important roles. She became a vice president in different areas, including economic development and energy delivery services. She was the first African-American woman to become a vice president at Progress Energy. When Progress Energy joined with Duke Energy in 2012, she became the Vice President of Corporate Public Affairs. In this job, she worked with government leaders to create good rules that helped customers and businesses. Hilda Pinnix-Ragland retired from Duke Energy in June 2016. She was also the first African-American woman appointed to Duke Energy's board of directors.

Leadership and Community Work

Hilda Pinnix-Ragland has dedicated much of her time to serving on boards and helping her community. In 2013, she joined the board of directors for the North Carolina Institute of Medicine. She also serves on the board of directors for Southwest Water Company and is the vice-chair of the board at RTI International.

She has led many important groups, including serving as chairwoman of the board of directors for the North Carolina Community College System. She was also a co-chair for Wake Invests in Women and led the American Association of Blacks in Energy. Hilda is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors. She has also advised the Governor of North Carolina on budget reforms. In the past, U.S. President Barack Obama nominated her to serve on the board of the National Park Foundation.

Hilda Pinnix-Ragland founded the STEMulus Academy. This program helps fifth-grade girls in Wake County learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. She also created the Hilda Pinnix-Ragland Endowment. This fund provides scholarships for accounting students at North Carolina A&T State University.

Awards and Recognition

Hilda Pinnix-Ragland has received many awards for her achievements. In 2007, she received the James E. Stewart Award from the American Association of Blacks in Energy. The next year, she earned the North Carolina 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2012, Savoy Magazine named her one of the Top 100 Influential Women in Corporate America.

She was given the Education Award for Leadership in Community Colleges by Joe Biden. In 2017, the Triangle Business Journal honored her with the Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2020, she was inducted into the Lifetime Hall of Fame for North Carolina A&T State University's Business School.

In May 2019, she co-authored the book The Energy Within Us: An Illuminating Perspective from Five Trailblazers with Carolyn Green, Joyce Hayes Giles, Rose McKinney-James, and Telisa Toliver.

Personal Life

Hilda Pinnix-Ragland is married to Alvin Glendale Ragland. He is a human resources specialist who works for Sony Ericsson in Research Triangle Park. They have one daughter and live in Cary, North Carolina.

Hilda and her husband are members of the Carolina Country Club in Raleigh, North Carolina. When they joined in 2013, they were the first African-American members in the club's 103-year history. Hilda is a member of the Episcopal Church and teaches Sunday school at St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Raleigh.