Vocational Spotlight: Karla Redding-Andrews
Executive director for The Otis Redding Foundation, Karla Redding-Andrews always pauses to remember the contributions her famous father made not only to soul music, but to her own success. Before becoming executive director of the Otis Redding Foundation, she and her mother Zelma operated one of Macon’s most memorable and premiere shoe stores in downtown Macon for 19 years. Karla’s Shoe Boutique was THE spot that serviced women all over the Southeast with the absolute finest footwear and accessories. Shopping was part of the destination but also just to meet the mother/daughter family of Otis Redding. But it is the philanthropic efforts of her father’s goal to motivate young people to stay in school and prove the importance of music and the arts in the classroom is the concentration of her efforts now. Day to day, she is actively involved in the music and education efforts in the community. The Foundation provides music education opportunities for young people age 12-17. The Otis Redding Center for Creative Arts, located next to the Foundation office, provides music lessons after school and every weekend as well as a weekly songwriting workshop called “We Write The Songs.” In addition, the annual Otis Music Camp, now in its 11th year, is a two-week project that has produced a number of successful graduates.
Karla Redding-Andrews earned a B.A. from Georgia Southern University in 1985, where she remains an active alum and serves on the Board of Alumni. She is vice-chair of the Georgia Music Foundation board, which operates to market and support the continued importance of Georgia music and its legendary musicians under the direction of the Governor of the State of Georgia, Nathan Deal. Karla is also on the Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Advisory Commission, appointed by Governor Deal. She serves on the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings Board of Visitors, which supports the Foundation. She is a member of the Leadership Macon Class of 2015 and is a member of the Macon Rotary Club, as well as serving on the boards of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia and Macon’s International Cherry Blossom Festival.
In 2016, Redding-Andrews received the Macon Arts Alliance Cultural Award. In 2018, she received the “She Rocks Award” from The Women’s International Music Network, where she was honored alongside incredible women in music including Pat Benatar, Melissa Etheridge, The B-52’s Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson. Currently, she is the chairperson for the Governing Board of the DREAM Academy, a state-approved, arts-integrated charter school, opening in August 2018.
Redding-Andrews and husband Timothy have been married for 29 years and have two sons, Justin and Jarred.
