Mahogany B. Newell received her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering (Florida State University) from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering in 2002 and was recently elected to serve on the FSU Alumni Association’s Board of Directors. Newell was selected via competitive selection process from a pool of over 80 applicants. She’s the first board member from the college.
“The FSU Alumni Association is thrilled to have Mahogany join our board,” Julie Decker, president, and chief executive officer of the FSU Alumni Association, said. “She proudly represents FAMU-FSU Engineering and our partnership and will bring her leadership and expertise to take us into the future.”
Board members volunteer for leadership positions and meet several times a year. Newell represents the joint college not only as an FSU alumna and engineer, but as a successful businesswoman in the industry.
“We are delighted that Mahogany will represent us on the FSU Alumni Board. She has been a strong supporter of the college since her graduation, and we are proud to have her represent us in this way,” said dean of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, J. Murray Gibson. “It is an honor, and we congratulate her!”
Newell’s vision is to help alumni and students become more aware of the opportunities available through the alumni association.
“As a new board member, I hope to drive increased membership from both the college of engineering and minority alumni,” Newell said. “I want to focus on supporting students with financial needs, and as a black female in STEM, I hope to bring a different level of diversity to the board.”
Newell is the Director of Operations at NextEra Energy Transmission-Trans Bay Cable (TBC) in California and is responsible for the operational reliability of the transmission asset and safety of her team. TBC provides 40% of the electrical power used daily in San Francisco and surrounding areas via a 53-mile High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) cable buried in the San Francisco Bay.
“It’s an honor to be selected as a board member and even bigger [honor] to hear that I am the first to represent the college of engineering,” Newell said. “I don’t take the responsibility lightly and am looking forward to the opportunity.