Carol Hankley keeps the numbers straight at American Sanitary Products, though she has been around this industry far longer than her title suggests. Her father, Carroll E. "Brizy" Brizendine Sr., founded the commercial sanitation company Cebco, Inc. in 1992, and Carol spent years there learning the business from the inside out. The work ethic she picked up in that building is the same one she brings to her desk every morning.

Her path to accounting was not a straight line, and that turns out to be the advantage. Carol owned and operated Carol's Cosmetics, so she knows firsthand what it takes to run a small business and where every dollar goes. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and spent an accomplished career as a classroom teacher and educational leader, serving on state advisory boards and helping shape the Virginia Standards of Learning. Teaching gave her something most accounting professionals never develop: the ability to make the numbers make sense to everyone else in the room.

She is known around the office for two things that rarely travel together, meticulous organization and an easy, approachable manner. Nothing falls through the cracks, and nobody is afraid to ask her a question.

Carol believes strong organizations are built on integrity, empathy, dedication, and clear communication. She brings that to her work every day, and she takes real pride in supporting both the business and the people behind it.

Outside of work, her time belongs to her husband, her children, and her grandchildren. She reads, takes long walks, and keeps a standing appointment with the gym.