Alisha Hooks: Inside the IICRC’s Renewals and Reinstatement Team

What does it really mean to serve the customer? It’s a question every business asks, but not every role answers it as directly as this one.

In this episode of Unscripted, an IICRC video production, we take a closer look at the people behind the scenes who help keep the cleaning and restoration industry moving forward—the ones who don’t make the headlines but whose work makes everything else possible.

This time, that person is Alicia Hooks, the IICRC Renewals Reinstatement Supervisor.

On the surface, the role is about process. Answering calls and emails, guiding professionals through certification renewals, helping them navigate continuing education requirements, and making sure the administrative side of staying certified doesn’t become a barrier to the work itself. It’s detail-oriented, deadline-driven, and demands consistency day in and day out.

But spend any time with Hooks, and it becomes clear the job is about something bigger than paperwork.

Behind every renewal request is a professional trying to stay compliant, stay competitive, and stay employed. These are technicians, project managers, and business owners who have invested real time and money into earning their credentials—and who are counting on someone like Hooks to help them protect that investment when life gets in the way. A missed deadline, a lapsed certification, a confusing reinstatement process—any of those things can have real consequences for a person’s livelihood.

That’s the weight Hooks carries into every interaction, and it shapes how she leads her team and approaches her work. Serving the customer, in this role, means understanding what’s actually at stake for the person on the other end of the phone. It means finding solutions, not just processing requests. And it means recognizing that helping someone keep their certification current isn’t just an administrative task—it’s helping them keep working, support their families, and continue building the career they’ve worked hard to create.

In this episode, you’ll hear firsthand what it looks like to lead with service, work as a team, and find genuine purpose in helping others succeed—both on the job and at home.