Ira Hodges is a native of Biloxi, MS. She moved to Tuscaloosa, AL in 2004 with her husband and two small children from St. Louis, MO. Her greatest honors are being a devoted wife for over 27 years to Bill and being the mother of two young adults, William and Nia. Ira received an undergraduate degree in Accounting from Jackson State University in Jackson, MS before moving to St. Louis, MO to start her career. She has worked in public accounting, financial reporting, and internal auditing during the span of her career. Currently, Ira is a National Director of Internal Audit at Encompass Health Corporation. Her current professional projects include management of the Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance program,process improvement initiatives and internal control consultation for various system implementations.

As an advocate for professional growth and leadership, Ira is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). She is also a trained executive coach and mentor. Ira serves as the current Treasurer and previous Audit Chair for the Tuscaloosa Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Additionally, she participates in various community service efforts with her sorority and local church.