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dECEmbER 10, 2012

UWA UPDATE PG 3

CITIZEN OF YEAR PG 6

toni Young’s idea of providing much-needed books to the Haleyville Middle School library

came to her while teaching a group of youngsters at her church about missions. “I explained to the children how important it is to give of oneself and help others whenever possible, and asked them to look around for ways they could make a difference in the community,” said Young, who leads the Royal Ambassadors and Girls in Action mission organizations at Haleyville First Baptist on Wednesday nights. “The kids thought it would be a good idea to help the local school with things that were needed to make their school year better.” That brainstorming session led the group to begin collecting school supplies for underprivileged children. Young decided to take this effort one step further. She called on her co-workers in the Western Division Chapter of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) to help fill the library shelves at the new Haleyville Middle School. The shelves were partially filled because library enhancement funding was eliminated from the state education budget the past three years by proration. Haleyville APSO members promoted the “Born to Read” book drive through the local newspaper, TV and radio stations. “We put containers in front of our Customer Service windows so people could donate their change,” Young said. “But we mostly raised money through word of mouth.”

People were encouraged to buy books in memory or in honor of family or friends, Young said. The names of the donor and the person memorialized or honored will be inscribed on the first page of each donated library book. The book drive raised more than $4,000 to buy 330 new hardback books for the library. “This was a really worthy cause,” Young said. “It is important to teach children how to read by giving them the tools they need. Helping children learn to read is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.”

By Carla Davis

Hayleyville employee launches bid to fill school’s empty library shelves

ON ThE COVER: Michigan Avenue Complex Lineman LaShawn Draine presents his business card to customer Felicia Lawson of Mobile.

Photo: Dan Anderson

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pOWER Of GOOd

Young and fellow Haleyville employees Regina Galloway, Frank Tidwell, Carla Brakefield, Melinda Weaver join librarian Pam Mobley in placing new books on the shelves of Haleyville Middle School.

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Nearly two years ago, the Alabama Power

Foundation made a contribution that was the catalyst in the formation of the University of West Alabama (UWA) Center for Business and Economic Services. The grant spearheaded by Eutaw Business Office Manager Danny Cooper allowed the center to hire a full-time director and become an extension of the college of business. The center’s mission is to lead economic and community development efforts in the Black Belt region. “The Alabama Power Foundation tries to improve quality of life by connecting to our communities in more ways than just supplying power,” said John Hudson, president of the Alabama Power Foundation. “The University of West Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Development provides needed work force development training for west Alabama communities. We are happy to support them in their efforts.” With the support of local industry, including Alabama Power and the center, UWA secured the largest federal grant in the institution’s history this past September. The $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor is to be used for work force training to boost the depleted employment level in the most rural part of Alabama. “We have 12 percent unemployment within the Black Belt counties, but if you look at the number who have stopped looking for employment or who are underemployed, the rate is more than 20 percent,” said Billy McFarland, director of UWA’s Center for Business and Economic Services. The Labor Department awarded $500 million in grants to community colleges and universities across the country as part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training initiative. The $2 billion, four-year initiative promotes skills development and employment opportunities in fields such as advanced manufacturing, transportation and healthcare, as well as science, technology,

engineering and math careers through partnerships between training providers and local employers. With the help of local industry and area service agencies, McFarland said UWA will establish a comprehensive industrial training program with high-tech equipment that will target Black Belt counties and serve 245 students. UWA will seek input from local industry to make sure the university is addressing the exact needs of the work force. The program is slated to start in early 2013.

By Freddy Padilla

New program will serve 245 students.

Foundation grant spurs federal employment aidWallace Hall is home to UWA Center

for Business and Economic Development Services.

Five young whooping cranes led by ultralight aircraft safely completed a 324-mile journey

through Alabama in late November, said Liz Condie of Operation Migration. The trek was just one portion of a 1,101-mile migration spanning seven states by the whooping cranes making their first cross-country flight as part of an annual effort to reintroduce the endangered bird to eastern North America. Each year, hatchlings are raised and prepared for flight as part of Operation Migration’s unique approach to saving the whooping crane, said Condie. Since 2008, Alabama Power has partnered with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to sponsor the migration. “Alabama Power is proud to support the efforts of Operation Migration and NFWF’s Power of Flight program,” said Environmental Affairs Vice President Matt Bowden. “This partnership allows us to continue to grow whooping crane populations and make these birds a more common sight in Alabama skies.” This year’s hatchlings began their first Wisconsin-to-Florida migration Sept. 28. The whooping cranes and aircraft had Alabama stopovers in Walker, Chilton, Lowndes and Pike counties, Condie said.

The cranes are hatched at the U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. They are taught to follow a specially designed ultralight aircraft before being shipped to Wisconsin 50 days after hatching. Their flight training continues from June through September each year. Power of Flight, which funds projects to conserve birds in the southern United States, is one of several stewardship programs supported by Alabama Power in partnership with NFWF and others. The company also works to restore the South’s longleaf pine ecosystem through the Longleaf Legacy program and supports watershed conservation through Five Star Restoration. Learn more about Alabama Power’s conservation efforts on its environmental page at www.alabamapower.com.

By Brandon Glover

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Birds of a FeatherENVIRONmENT

Company continues supporting efforts to save whooping crane

Whooping cranes were again led through Alabama by ultralight plane.

field employees hope new cards are answer to customer questionsResearch shows that a speedy

response to a request is key to keeping the customer satisfied. “Our own experiences have shown us that we are more likely to have a positive response to a company when we know someone who works there, and feel that person is taking steps to solve our problems or provide us with the information we need. We feel

connected to that company,” said Jill Stork, Operations manager, Michigan Avenue Complex, Mobile Division. “So, when our Power Delivery management asked us what we could do differently to help make each customer contact a positive one, we went straight to employees in the field for the answers.” In support of Alabama Power’s 100% Connected initiative, Stork led an effort to look for new ways to enhance the “customer experience.” She met with 19 Distribution employees from all six divisions, including local operations linemen (LOLs), line crew members, engineers and foremen. The new Power Delivery engineering hotline, 1-866-986-5132, is the upshot. “Crew members and LOLs said they don’t always have the answers when approached by customers on the job site, and many times need to refer them

to an engineer,” said Stork. “The employees said they would like to be able to provide phone numbers to customers with ‘engineering’ questions.” Requests that require the expertise of an engineer can vary widely. They may include questions about enlarging a home, building a backyard shed, installing outdoor lighting,

changing from overhead to underground service or relocating a meter. After reviewing options, the group decided the best plan was a toll-free telephone line routing calls to engineers as quickly as possible. When calling the line, customers are prompted to enter their ZIP code and are transferred to an Engineering clerk who serves each community.Clerks refer all customer questions to the engineer who serves their area. Stork said the hotline setup was a team effort. Each division helped identify the ZIP codes needed to be entered into the system. Customer Service’s technology group programmed and tested the line to be sure calls from the 579 postal codes are correctly transferred. The company Print Shop designed and produced business cards listing the hotline number for distribution to every line

employee working in the field. To help customers feel they actually “know someone” at Alabama Power, the cards feature a place for the employee’s signature. As an added convenience, the cards include phone numbers for the Residential and Business Customer Service centers, as well as the power outage reporting system. “The card has been very helpful,” said Power Delivery Lineman Michael Brantley, Schillingers Road Crew Headquarters. “Normally, I don’t know which engineers work in which area. The card gives me the perfect number to help me direct the customer to the employee who can give them the information they need.” The Alabama Power hotline initiative grew out of a systemwide effort to ensure customers – no matter where they live – have a positive experience. Stork said employees in the field wanted to enhance their communication skills. She chaired the Southern Company Customer Touch committee that led the hotline effort. A four-part DVD called “What You Do Matters” was produced and is being sent to Distribution and Transmission employees at every operating company. The DVDs highlight right and wrong ways to interact with customers. The first installment was sent in August. When the hotline was launched in October, 4,000 business cards were mailed to Alabama Power line crews and LOLs who work face to face with customers every day. “We hope the hotline will speed up the process by cutting down on the time it takes for a customer to reach an engineer,” Stork said. “And most of all, receiving a hotline business card from an employee will make customers feel they know somebody at Alabama Power and that they matter.”

By Carla Davis

CusTOmER sERVICE

Birds of a Feather

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Mobile Division Lineman LaShawn Draine carries cards to aid customers.

New business cards include Power Delivery engineering hotline number.

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Craig Harris was shocked to hear his name called as Eufaula Kiwanis Club Citizen of the

Year. As a 14-year member of the club, Harris had never known another Kiwanian to receive the honor. On top of that, Harris brought home the gold trophy a year after his son Jackson, 18, won the title for community service. The “clincher” behind Harris’ win, said Kiwanis President-elect Marian Bargewell, was saving the life of a fellow Alabama Power employee Jan. 4.

“Midway during lunch, she suddenly jumped up, and I knew something wasn’t right,” said Harris, Engineering supervisor - Southeast Division Office. “I sensed it – it wasn’t natural for her to leave that way.” Seeing the clerk leave in distress, Harris found her and performed the Heimlich maneuver, as he’d been taught years earlier during a CPR class at work. He quickly cleared his friend’s airway, allowing her to breathe. The unselfish act of service earned Harris the company’s Presidential Award of Honor in March. For more than 30 years, Alabama Power has honored employees who save or attempt to sustain the life of another person. The workplace incident wasn’t the first time Harris used the Heimlich maneuver. Harris was returning from a weekend hunting trip 20 years ago on Highway 82 between Union Springs and Midway when he saw a woman waving her arms frantically. “She flagged me down on the highway, saying that her husband was choking on a cheeseburger,” Harris said. He immediately pulled his truck to the roadside, ran to the man and performed the Heimlich. “As soon as the food popped out of his mouth, the guy’s wife said, ‘I told him not to eat that hamburger so fast.’”

Harris began his Alabama Power career 29 years ago after earning an electrical engineering degree from the University of Alabama. He began working in Eufaula, though he’s worked in jobs in Operations, Marketing and Power Delivery throughout Southeast Division. Harris has taken many leadership roles – serving on the Kiwanis board 10 years – to benefit Eufaula. He is on the city Electrical board and the Comprehensive Community Master Plan steering committee, serves as chairman of the Parks

and Recreation board, and assists other state and national organizations. For Harris, serving others comes naturally. “I always enjoy getting folks’ lights back on,” said Harris, who in the past year has made long treks to Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania as part of mutual assistance efforts to help electric utilities restore service in storm-stricken areas. “Working with Alabama Power has given me many opportunities to serve others, through the company and other community organizations,” he said. “Alabama Power employees have always been known as leaders in our communities. I am just one of many employees who serve others in hundreds of different ways.”

By Donna Cope

Harris’ life-saving effort clinches Eufaula Kiwanis ‘Citizen of Year’

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Eufaula Crew Foreman Phillip Ray Shelley, left, and Harris look over electrical blueprints at work site.

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APCO Employees Credit Union recently celebrated the opening of its 15th location

with a formal ribbon cutting, refreshments and a raffle. Credit union and power company employees joined others at the celebration. The new Chelsea branch office opened Oct. 1, offering customers in Shelby County a convenient location to conduct credit union business, while playing a special role in the credit union’s disaster recovery plans. The new 3,500-square-foot branch is in the Chelsea Crossroads shopping development on Highway 280. Merrill Mann, president and CEO of APCO Employees Credit Union, said the area is an ideal location for a branch because of its proximity to shopping centers and so many members’ homes. In addition to being a full-service branch for members, the building serves as the new disaster recovery center for APCO Employees Credit Union, allowing other credit union branches to continue to operate in the event of an emergency. Derrick Ragland, chief operating officer of APCO Employees Credit Union, said the branch is the credit union’s fifth free-standing location and features several improvements over other branch offices. “Designed by our long-standing architect, David Scheirer, this new design features a larger, more upscale floor plan, a three-lane drive-thru service

window and a new front tower with LED up-lighting,” Ragland said. APCO Employees Credit Union is the largest credit union in the Birmingham metro area with $2.2 billion in assets. With its 15 branches throughout Alabama, the credit union serves more than 64,000 members – individuals and their families who are employed with or retired from Alabama Power and other Southern Company affiliates. The new branch at 370 Chelsea Crossroads operates 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The branch closes each day from 1-2 p.m. for lunch.

By Caitlin Brothers

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At A Crossroads

Many members enjoyed grand opening festivities at Chelsea.

APCO Employees Credit Union opens 15th branch

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Ribbon-cutting ceremony attendees included Roy Sims II, Ann Wilkinson, Chelsea Mayor Earl Niven, S.A. Marino, Robert Roy, Wendell Pate, CEO Mann, COO Ragland, Danna Horne, Don Manuel,

Andrew Wilson and CFO Blane Mink.

Editor: Chuck Chandler 205-257-3651

Assistant editors: Donna Cope and Carla Davis

Photo editor: Bill Snow

Art director: Jay Parker

Thumbs up: 205-257-1433

Powergrams is published biweekly by Alabama Power for its employees, retirees and friends. Please report address changes by calling the editor.

POWERGRAMS StAff:

Retirees

IN mEmORIAm

The Mobile fleet Garage has passed two years without a recordable injury or preventable vehicle accident. Employees include: first row, Becky Boyington and Jeff Martin; second row, Steven Silvester and Richard Duke; third row, Benjamin Moore, Jason Ryals, Lee Holub and Lance Johnson; fourth row, Kenny Carter, terry Nall, Sam Baria and Paxton Brunson; and fifth row, Eric Smith, terry Carter, Jeff Nelson, tommy Bowden and Scott Perritt.

Administrative Assistant Sandra Armstrong and her daughter Brittney recently toured Rome, Florence, Assisi and Venice, Italy, where they took a gondola ride on the Grand Canal.

Henry G. Boazmon Jr., 95, retiree, East Customer Service Center, Nov. 10.

Arnold A. Dauch, 76, retiree, Major Projects – Miller, Nov. 19.

Gerald O. Geier, 75, retiree, Neely Henry Dam, Nov. 15.

Earl R. Roper, 76, retiree, East Jefferson District Office, Nov. 13.

Archie C. Trimm Jr., 84, retiree, Birmingham Division, Nov. 16.

Milton F. Watts, 92, retiree, Eastern Division Office, Nov. 5.

Charles Perry Adamsfield service representative, Phenix CityService: 26 years, 11 months

Betty Kay ChamblessEnvironmental Affairs assistant, General Services Complex 8-fuel/Environmental testing LabService: 34 years, eight months

Ronald Joseph DoggettLead lineman, Mobile Division OfficeService: 40 years, seven months

Verdell Edward FisherRegional service manager, Southern Division OfficeService: 31 years, four months

Michael Vann PoseyPlant control operator, Gadsden Steam PlantService: 26 years, eight months

Mark Holt TaylorMeter tester, tuscaloosa Crew HeadquartersService: 40 years, four months

Walter James TownerLineman-transmission, Corporate HeadquartersService: 38 years, one month.

TARGET ZEROHER ES

The Mobile Division APSO Chapter collected items for care packages as part of its annual Support Our Troops project. Members sent four 15-pound boxes to the brother of Ryan Allen, Schillingers Road Crew Headquarters. Allen’s brother, Sean, is stationed in Afghanistan. Items included puzzles, hard candy, beef jerky, crackers and magazines.

Alabama Power was recognized by the Calera Chamber of Commerce for its support above and beyond paying membership dues, and for its commitment to the community. T. J. Fincher, Metro South-Pelham, and Denise McDaniel, Calera, accepted the award from Bill Davis, president of the chamber board.

Cris Dorough, Columbiana Office, received a plant from a customer thanking her for going the extra mile. The customer called to get power connected at his rental property on the Friday afternoon when company employees were gearing up to respond to Hurricane Isaac. The customer was preparing for his tenants to move in that weekend. At Dorough’s request, Terry Robinson, Varnons Crew Headquarters, handled the job before day’s end.

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