Duane Ackerman’s career has been the stuff of dreams.
He served as vice chairman, president and CEO of BellSouth, navigating the company through mergers and changes in the industry. With his lifetime of business experience and tech-savvy nature, he’s been involved in numerous startups. Ackerman also serves on many distinguished boards, including those representing Allstate, Home Depot and UPS, as well as on the National Security Advisory Council.
Because of these accomplishments, Ackerman, has been selected as the 2013 inductee into the Plant City High School Hall of Fame. But, Ackerman, a member of the Class of 1960, didn’t accept the distinction because of his triumphs. Instead, he wants to motivate students to reach for the sky.
“I’m one of the few that believes the American Dream is not dead,” Ackerman said. “Don’t be defined by who you are today.”
Ackerman’s story is a true rags-to-riches saga. But, he didn’t get there without hard work and dedication. He was born in Dade City but moved at age 2 to Plant City, with his mother, Celeste, and father, Floyd, who was a welder and postal worker before settling down as a citrus planter. The family lived in a modest,wood-framed house in the country, like most residents at the time.
“It never occurred to me about the economic strata or where I was in the puzzle,” Ackerman said. “We were all the same.”
When Ackerman reached high school, he took an interest in math and science. His father wanted him to go to school to be an engineer. His teachers and guidance counselors urged higher education, as well.
Working at the phosphate mines one summer for extra spending money, Ackerman met a man who worked two shifts, seven days a week, to support his seven kids. That’s when Ackerman knew for certain he was going to college.
“I realized the real world was approaching,” he said.
But, it was his talents in tennis that earned him a scholarship Rollins College, in Winter Park.
There were only about 10 students in his college physics class, which afforded him the opportunity to rub elbows with faculty members during discussions and research.
“I was really fortunate to have good teachers,” Ackerman said. “My education was founded in Plant City. It set me up for the future.”
Ackerman graduated in 1964, with a physics degree. Six years later, he had earned his master’s degree from the Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business. He also had simultaneously started working for Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, as a customer service agent. Within a few years, Ackerman became a division plant manager and then general personnel supervisor at Southern Bell’s headquarters, in Atlanta. He then was promoted to vice president of the plant department.
Ackerman left to complete graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After receiving his second master’s degree, Ackerman returned in 1978, to Southern Bell.
His hard work and determination continued to shine. When the company created BellSouth Corporation as the result of a divestiture, Ackerman was chosen to serve as the company’s vice president for corporate planning and development. In 1985, he was elected as executive vice president for network planning and marketing for BellSouth Services Inc.
Under Ackerman, BellSouth grew faster than any other regional Bell companies, by initiating widespread installations of optical fibers in its local networks, among other strategies.
By 1989, Ackerman had been appointed vice chairman of finance and administration. When BellSouth Corporation consolidated in 1991, Ackerman was named vice chairman of BellSouth Corporation and president and chief operation officer of BellSouth Telecommunications. Ackerman became the company’s CEO and president in 1997.
Throughout his career, Ackerman was known for his down-to-earth management style. It was a style he took from his beginnings in Plant City. He often rode in company trucks to visit employees out in the field.
“Learning to respect and honor what people do is part of leadership,” Ackerman said. “Plus, I liked it. If you pursue something you like, you can do better than if you choose something you don’t like.”
Despite changes in technology and increases in competition, Ackerman continued to lead his company to success until he retired in 2007. Part of Ackerman’s success was his belief that challenges weren’t signs of failure but rather opportunities to grow.
“A lot of times, we don’t go beyond our self-defined boundaries, because we’re uncomfortable,” Ackerman said. “But, if you’re uncomfortable, then that’s a sign of growth.
“There’s a lot of forces that seem to suggest you can’t do it,” he said. “But, we don’t want to live in a world where we’re taken care of. We want to live in a world where we work and have respect.”
Ackerman hopes his induction into the hall of fame will inspire other students to achieve their own version of the American Dream. He suggests students should have perseverance, a desire to success and honesty.
“Im certainly honored Plant City has selected me,” Ackerman said. “I want to empower the youth to grow and stretch. The pace of change is dramatic, and I think that’s a message for our young people. It’s an exciting time. It’s a great time to be engaged. But not a good time to take it easy.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.