Title: Vice President of Strategic Operations
Company: Alabama Farm Credit
Location: Cullman, Alabama, United States
Samantha B. Southerland, MBA, Vice President of Strategic Operations at Alabama Farm Credit, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Insurance.
Ms. Southerland, a prominent professional in the insurance industry, joined Alabama Farm Credit ACA in Cullman, Alabama, in 2023 as the vice president and director of strategic operations. Leveraging many years of success, her role oversees various critical initiatives, including strategic operations, marketing and public relations. She also travels nationwide with other agricultural finance associations due to her involvement in the company’s artificial intelligence and travels to speak to groups about environmental sustainability and governance. Furthermore, Ms. Southerland is heavily engaged with her team, ensuring they remain at the forefront of new systems, divisions and processes and coming up with innovative solutions that align with company goals.
In addition to her work at the insurance company, Ms. Southerland has become active in entrepreneurship, having owned Samantha Southerland Photography since 2016. Having garnered tremendous success in this venture, her work has been featured in numerous publications for her expertise in wedding photography. Ms. Southerland also had the opportunity to work on the set of “Sweet Home Sextuplets” on the TLC show. Today, she focuses more on magazine publications, such as Senior Muse Magazine and Inspire Teens Magazine, with two due to be published soon. Besides her commitment to insurance and photography, Ms. Southerland specializes as a marketing consultant. Before opening her photography business, she was the co-owner of Ruffles Around the Edges LLC from 2013 to 2016.
Ms. Southerland’s tenure at Alabama Farm Credit previously included positions as marketing and public relations manager between 2019 and 2023 and executive assistant to the chief executive officer from 2017 to 2019. Earlier, she excelled as a licensed agent with Allstate between 2016 and 2017, marking a pivotal moment in her career in this sector. Ms. Southerland initially worked in radio as an assistant production manager at WTBF in Troy, Alabama, and in local government as an administrative coordinator for the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office.
Highly educated, Ms. Southerland received a Bachelor of Science in broadcast communications and marketing from Troy University in Troy, Alabama, in 2009 and an Executive Master of Business Administration from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, in 2023. Additionally, she garnered credentials as a project management professional through the Project Management Institute in 2023, where she is also an active member.
In addition to her primary career endeavors, Ms. Southerland has been serving on the empty bowls committee for Cullman Caring for Kids since 2023 and on the board of the AFC’s Together We Grow Foundation since 2023, Les Dames of Cullman since 2023 and United Women of United Way since 2024. Her dedication to community is a testament to her dedication to giving back to worthy causes.
Since being named a vice president at Alabama Farm Credit, Ms. Southerland has been instrumental in building the crop insurance division and establishing a nonprofit, all before turning 35. Eager for future growth in her field, she aspires to earn another title to continue progressing and impacting her industry. Ms. Southerland’s leadership and professional skills have been instrumental in her success thus far.
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