When Fort Smith Mayor George McGill proclaimed Jan. 8 “Fred Kirkwood Day,” the honor recognized more than just a job title or retirement date. It marks the end of a four-decade career for Kirkwood serving clients, colleagues and the community.
Kirkwood, chief customer experience officer for Summit Utilities subsidiary Arkansas-Oklahoma Gas, retired Jan. 13 after 40 years in the natural gas industry. During that time, he helped lead customer-centric operations in six states, serving more than 625,000 customers.
But Kirkwood’s path into the industry was anything but strategic.
“I wanted to sound really strategic, like I had everything planned out, but that’s not the case,” he laughs.
Kirkwood, a recent graduate of Central Oklahoma State University, applied for jobs for one main reason: to get closer to the woman he was dating. She returned home to Rowland, and Kirkwood, who was living in Mississippi at the time, wanted to return to Riverdale.
He applied for both AOG and ABF. ABF offered first, but required a year in Nashville. When AOG called the next day, the decision was easy.
“I’ll get there faster,” he said. “So I took the job. 40 years later, I’m still here.”
At the time, Kirkwood said he knew little about the natural gas business.
“I didn’t know anything about gas other than my mother paying the gas bill,” he said. “But as soon as I got here, the business intrigued me. The interest just kept growing.”
An industry that changes – an industry that doesn’t
Looking back, Kirkwood said the core of the job remains the same: providing essential services that keep homes warm, businesses running and families safe.
“What’s always been the same is the dedication of the people,” he said. “Really nice people who really care about what they do.”
What has changed, he said, is the way utilities meet customer needs.
“When I started, everything was handled through the mail or in person,” Kirkwood said. “The focus now is on meeting customer needs electronically, making it simple and easy to use in today’s world.”
This shift to customer experience became the most personal part of his job, especially during difficult times.
“When bills are high and people are struggling, that’s what bothers me,” he said. “Being able to help them find solutions is important.”
Under Kirkwood’s leadership, AOG and Summit expanded energy efficiency programs, payment options and assistance programs designed to go beyond short-term fixes.
“A payment plan can be a Band-Aid,” he said. “But insulation, weatherproofing, these are solutions that can help a home for the rest of its life.”
community as classroom
Although Kirkwood didn’t grow up in Fort Smith, he has deep roots here, serving organizations including Leadership Fort Smith, Boys & Girls Club of Fort Smith, United Way and the Home Builders Association of Greater Fort Smith.
He said these roles shaped his approach to leadership.
“Each organization gives me a different perspective on how communities work and what people really need,” Kirkwood said. “That understanding helps us develop programs that really make a difference.”
He credits this involvement with helping him see the human side of infrastructure—from families struggling to stay warm to seniors living alone in inefficient housing.
“Involvement in the community goes hand-in-hand with my job,” he said. “That’s critical to it.”
Courses that start at home
Kirkwood traces his leadership philosophy to his mother long before joining AOG.
As a single parent raising four children, she works every day while still finding time to help neighbors, feed other children and care for her extended family.
“She was the greatest example of servant leadership, even before anyone called it that,” Kirkwood said. “She had very little education, but she taught us about hard work, integrity and helping others even if you don’t have much of it yourself.”
Those lessons, he said, have flowed seamlessly into his career.
“I’m lucky to work for an organization that allows me to express myself at work,” he said. “This is how we serve our customers.”
Looking to the future
As retirement approaches, Kirkwood said his first challenge will be to no longer drive to work.
“I’ve been working for 40 years,” he joked, and even the company’s vacation policy earned the nickname “Fred’s Vacation.”
Over the next few months, he plans to spend time with his family, travel with his wife, and eventually return as a consultant to help develop future leaders.
“I’m very lucky,” Kirkwood said. “This industry, the people I work with, this community, are a gift.”
Even four decades later, he still makes it a point to thank those who helped shape his journey from the beginning.
“I can’t do an interview without mentioning the Home Builders Association,” he said. “They became my family during my first week on the job and have been a part of my success ever since.”
For Kirkwood, legacy is measured not in years or titles, but in relationships, which is exactly what Fort Smith chose to commemorate with a day named in his honor.
This article originally appeared in the Fort Smith Times-Record: From first job to 40-year career, Fred Kirkwood retires from AOG
