A. Bentley Hankins, Ph.D.
Dr. A. Bentley Hankins, Ph.D., CRC, CVE, ABVE/F, is the principal consultant at Hankins & Hankins Vocational Consulting, where he has been serving clients since 2007. With extensive academic training and nearly two decades of hands-on experience, Dr. Hankins provides trusted expertise in vocational rehabilitation counseling, occupational assessment, and expert witness testimony throughout North Carolina and the broader Southeastern United States. Dr. Hankins earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Clemson University, followed by a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Tennessee, and later a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Rehabilitation Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Medicine. He maintains certifications as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist (CVE), and Certified Fellow Member with the American Board of Vocational Experts (ABVE/F). Recognized nationally for his work, Dr. Hankins has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, the Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, and the Journal of Forensic Vocational Analysis. Since 2009, he has served as a vocational expert for the Social Security Administration and continues to provide expert testimony and consulting services in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. At Hankins & Hankins Vocational Consulting, Dr. Hankins and his team are dedicated to helping individuals, attorneys, and organizations understand the intersection between work capacity, rehabilitation, and employability. Through objective evaluation, professional insight, and decades of experience, the firm provides reliable, evidence-based assessments that support both rehabilitation outcomes and legal cases across the region.
Norman E. Hankins, Ed.D.
Norman E. Hankins, Ed.D., was the original founder of Hankins Vocational Consulting (now Hankins & Hankins Vocational Consulting) which he turned into a full-time private practice in 1988 upon his retirement from his position as a faculty member of the Department of Human Development and Learning at East Tennessee State University. Dr. Hankins was the founder of this department and served as its chair from 1978 to 1988. He earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Business Administration from Tusculum College in 1958. He then attended East Tennessee State University where he earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Educational Supervision and Administration in 1962. He completed his doctoral work at the University of Tennessee and graduated in 1964 with a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Counseling and Educational Psychology. Dr. Hankins began working as a vocational expert on a contractual basis with the Social Security Administration in 1965 and continued to serve in this role until his retirement in 2013. Dr. Hankins was also a licensed psychologist in the state of Tennessee, a Diplomate member of the American Board of Vocational Experts and a Certified Earnings Analyst (CEA) through the American Rehabilitation Economics Association. Dr. Hankins officially retired from the practice in May 2013 and passed away in February 2018. Despite his passing, the firm’s name remains Hankins & Hankins Vocational Consulting in his honor.
