pOWERGRAMSp u b l I s h E d s I N C E 1 9 2 0 f O R T h E E m p l O y E E s O f A l A b A m A p O W E R C O m pA N y p R I N T E d O N R E C y C l E d pA p E R

pOWERGRAMS

TARGET ZEROHER ES

ON THE ROAD AGAiNPG 7

NOVEmbER 26, 2012

GOOd ROOTs pG 2

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The Alabama Power Foundation has awarded about $24,000 in “Good Roots” grants to

fund planting of trees across central and southern Alabama. Good Roots is coordinated with the Alabama Urban Forestry Association and awards up to $1,000 per grant to buy trees for planting in cities, towns, communities and by nonprofit organizations. Good Roots is designed to help keep communities

beautiful and vibrant, said John Hudson, president of the foundation. “The Alabama Power Foundation has a goal of strengthening the communities we serve by giving back and supporting local organizations through our grant programs,” Hudson said. “Communities are still feeling the impact from the April 2011 tornadoes. Good Roots is helping these communities continue to rebuild.” The trees will be planted and maintained in public places by volunteers from each community. Communities and organizations benefiting from this year’s grants are: • Alabama Green industry Training Center • Alabama Non-Profit Housing • Anniston Museum of Natural History • Appalachian Youth Park & Recreation

Organization • Auburn University at Montgomery • Auburn University Foundation • Autauga County PALS • BENNU America Foundation • City of Blountsville • Blountsville Business Association – Blountsville

Elementary • Blountsville Business Association – Historical

Park • Blountsville Business Association – J.B.

Pennington High • City of Carbon Hill • City of Fultondale • Friends of the Governor’s Mansion • Glen iris Elementary, Birmingham • City of Greenville • Keep Saraland Beautiful • Montgomery Clean City Commission • Montgomery Trees • Town of Parrish

• City of Phenix City • Tallassee Mount Vernon Theater • Troy University – Phenix City Campus • Wellborn Elementary, Anniston.

Good Roots has awarded more than $624,000 to more than 650 cities, towns and nonprofit organizations to plant trees at schools, churches, city parks and other community locations, Hudson said.

For more information on Good Roots and other Alabama Power programs, visit www.alpowercharitablegiving.org. The Alabama Power Foundation, founded in 1989 with an investment by Alabama Power shareholders, awards more than 1,000 grants annually and has assets in excess of $120 million, making it one of the largest corporate foundations in the state. The Alabama Power Foundation has given more than $130 million through more than 20,000 grants and scholarships.

By Hallie Bradley

Foundation planting Good Roots in communities across Alabama

ON ThE COVER: More than 520 employees traveled to the Northeast to restore power after Superstorm Sandy.

Photo: Steve Lubetkin

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pOWER Of GOOd

Children help plant tree purchased with Good Roots funding.

River City Renewal100% CONNECTEd

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Demopolis models citywide cleanup after APC project

With a little elbow grease, Diane Brooker and

fellow Demopolis citizens made their town sparkle. Brooker spearheaded Renew Our City – a new cleanup effort aimed at beautifying Demopolis. The project, sponsored by the Demopolis Rotary Club, was in conjunction with two longtime area cleanups, Renew Our Rivers and National Public Lands Day. “in the past, the cleanups had focused on the river and the area around it,” said Brooker, Alabama Power Demopolis Office manager and Rotary Club service project coordinator. “it was time to take the cleanup further than the river and into town and all the neighborhoods.” in support of these efforts, Demopolis Mayor Mike Grayson declared Sept. 30-Oct. 6 Renew Our City Week. Citizens were urged to spruce up their homes, yards and businesses. As part of that initiative, Rotarians worked along Highway 80, where they removed 50 pounds of debris and litter from the roadside. “The hardest thing was to get people to understand if you just take care of your little area, then the big picture will be affected,” Brooker said. “Many hands make small work.” Leading the way, Alabama Power’s Demopolis employees gave their office a facelift. They swept the sidewalk, trimmed and mulched the shrubs, cleaned the gutters and pressure-washed the building. While house-cleaning was under way in town, more than 170 community volunteers were hard at work removing trash in and around Lake Demopolis as part of Renew Our Rivers. Each year, Alabama Power’s Renew Our Rivers cleanup in Demopolis partners with National Public Lands Day, sponsored by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. During the two-day event, volunteers, including many Alabama Power employees, collected 32,225 pounds of debris from Lake Demopolis, located on the Warrior and Tombigbee rivers. Of the total haul, 9,925 pounds of scrap metal and tires, or 30.8 percent, were recycled.

Since the first Renew Our Rivers cleanup in 2000, volunteers have collected more than 12 million pounds of debris from Alabama waterways. As part of the event in Demopolis, Alabama Power employees disposed of debris from an old trash dump that had become an eyesore at Foscue Park. Among the items taken

from the lakeside dump were parts of a 1920s car, refrigerators and air conditioners. “Because we’ve been doing these cleanups for eight years, it’s hard to find a lot of debris,” said Bob McCants, Greene County Steam Plant compliance team leader, noting more than 39,000 pounds of trash has been removed from Lake Demopolis since 2005. “But the Corps of Engineers found this dump on the riverbank by accident. Evidently, the water had uncovered the junk, which must have been there for years.” Public Lands Day is a nationwide volunteer effort to beautify public lands. The work includes planting wildflowers, trees and shrubs; building birdhouses; clearing walking trails; and picking up tree branches and debris. Grayson said the willingness of Demopolis citizens to get involved in Renew Our City and other cleanups shows they care about making their town an inviting place to live. “When you can get folks to participate in any civic event, that’s big,” Grayson said. “But

when it’s a beautification project, that says the city has pride in the way it looks. “The fact Alabama Power is willing to allow its employees to participate in things that would help the city – everything from economic development to Renew Our Rivers to clubs and civic organizations – shows your company is a good corporate

citizen,” he said. “You don’t have to throw money at something to say you’re helping. People power is very important.” On the day after Renew Our City, Brooker drove around town to survey the results. “it was amazing. i truly could see a noticeable difference – sidewalks were clean; yards were edged; and gutters had been swept,” Brooker said.

By Carla Davis

Alfred Padilla, left, and Delacio Spencer pick up trash alongside volunteers.

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Corps of Engineers Brandon Smith, left, working alongside Delacio Spencer.

With the opening of the new Headland Office, customers have a more convenient place to

pay their bills. For the first time, the Headland business office and crew headquarters are housed under one roof. Customer Service, Marketing, Accounting, Engineering and field service representatives began working in the facility Oct. 22. The crews and local operations linemen joined the others several weeks later after returning home from restoring power outages caused by Hurricane Sandy. “This was a good opportunity to make the building a one-stop shop for our customers,” said Terry Weaver, Southeast Division Customer Service manager. “The old business office and the crew headquarters were half a mile apart. There were times when a customer might have to go to both facilities to do business.” The old business office on the town square, which Alabama Power had leased since the 1950s, had become too small to meet employees’ needs, Weaver said. Employees and customers were forced to park on a two-lane street. But the new facility along Highway 431 has a 25-car parking lot. “Downtown, we had to share parking with other businesses,” said Headland Office Manager Chere Johnson. “Now there is easy access to the building. Employees and customers have no trouble finding a parking spot.” The crew headquarters also needed to make a move. Reaching the old building was a challenge for large trucks because it was located on a narrow road. Additionally, there was no covered area to service company vehicles. Lewis Construction, a local contractor, began building the facility three years ago. But only the foundation was standing when economic conditions worsened, putting the project on hold. Work resumed in April, with the doors opening for business six months later. The nearly 20,000-square-foot building is almost double the size of the old business office, providing

ample space for Headland’s employees. it’s among the growing number of Alabama Power facilities with a built-in safe room. The center hallway of the building has reinforced, 12-inch concrete walls and a 12-inch-thick concrete ceiling, along with heavy-duty doors with double locks. “The hallway makes a good safe room because there won’t be any clutter. it won’t be used for files or storage,” said Allen McLendon, corporate architect, General Services. “The hallway will always be open and ready for use.” Because the safe room can accommodate 125 people, there is space for employees as well as customers who have stopped to pay their bills. To provide added convenience, the building has two entrances – one for crews and the other for office employees and customers. Energy-efficient design features include a white roof to help keep the building cool in the summer, airtight insulation, compact fluorescent lighting that uses less energy, and motion-controlled switches that automatically turn off lights in unoccupied rooms. There is a garage for vehicle maintenance and repair, along with a large, multipurpose conference room that can be reserved for public meetings. “i believe the new office better positions us to meet the needs of the community,” Weaver said. “i look at it as a partnership between us and the city, and believe it will help attract new business to Headland.”

By Carla Davis

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Taking Care of BusinessCusTOmER sERVICE

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New headland Office brings all workers under single roof

New Headland facilities opened Oct. 22.

Customer Service Representatives Paula Walker, left, and Heather

Mims work on accounts.

plant Greene County gets Zero second straight year Begin every day knowing it’s

time to start fresh and hone in on Target Zero. That’s one of the secrets behind the excellent safety record established at Plant Greene County, where employees have racked up two years without a recordable accident. While employees are happy and excited with their accomplishment, Compliance and Support Manager Larry Keith said they aren’t resting on their laurels. “Brains and brawn” are important, but a can-do spirit and perseverance are also required.“We know working safely is a day-to-day achievement,” said Keith, who’s worked 16 years at Plant Greene County. “if we slip up, someone gets hurt and we don’t reach our Target Zero goal. Everyone is taking care of each other. it’s a combination of so many things.” Safety committee member Delacio Spencer said Greene County’s safety program has many facets. Though all of the 120 employees participate in the monthly safety program, they’ve been called on to step up their efforts in making sure job safety briefings ( JSB) – paperwork done before any task or work item is performed – are well-planned and as thorough as possible. Each month, Safety Task Force members Brad Brewer, Darren Hynniman, Jesse Johnson, Thaddeus Johnson, Kim Pope, Richard Stokes, Ricky Teel, Marie Wilson and Spencer review an average of 575 JSBs. The team grades each briefing according to criteria set by Southern Company Generation. A good JSB includes all action requirements and procedures to address hazards or potential hazards; identifies personal protection equipment needed for the work; and is written legibly. if the team rejects a JSB because of inefficiencies or because the briefing overlooked hazards, they discuss their findings with the employee who created the paperwork. “Since we started doing this, we’ve gone from about an 85 percent success rate to 99 percent success,” Spencer said. “The JSB score decreases if employees don’t talk about hazards to watch for or don’t fully explain work requirements. We’ll talk with the employee and say, ‘This is an issue we had with your JSB,’ so they

know what to look for and think about later.” Safety Task Force members give a detailed report about the JSBs at the safety meeting on the first Tuesday of each month. “Everybody really likes to see what we’re doing on the JSBs,” Spencer said. “it’s helping improve the way everyone does them.” Plant Greene County employees may take part in a “Heads Up” program to identify hidden hazards or “near misses” on-site. Any item an employee deems a hidden hazard can be submitted to the Safety Task Force or to safety specialists on Greene County’s website and by email. Workers can submit hazard descriptions in boxes throughout the facility. The information is later provided in an email to all employees. identifying potential problems is important, Spencer said. “if you’re going up a step and notice it’s got a spongy feel to it, go ahead and take precautions to notify someone that it’s a near-miss condition,” Spencer said. “it involves thinking ahead about conditions that could hurt someone in the future.” Compliance Specialist Brewer believes the plant’s safety program gained momentum when employees reached their one-year accident-free milestone. “So many employees talk about safety, not just in their work life, but also in their personal lives,”

Brewer said. “We’ve really seen a cultural shift at Greene County, and the results of reaching two years of safe work speak of this change.” Plant Manager Charlie Tugwell said he’s proud of all of the employees. “This is a fantastic accomplishment, and we could only achieve it by each employee staying focused on safety and

watching out for fellow workers,” Tugwell said. “With everyone performing all work the way it needs to be done and doing the job as safely as they can, the numbers take care of themselves.”

By Donna Cope

TARGET ZERO

Taking Care of Business

PAGE 5

Mechanic Louie Padilla, left, and Apprentice Mechanic Christopher Glass replace bearing on a clinker grinder.

Chemical Technician Marie Wilson checks fly ash sample.

Assistant Plant Control Operators John Lewis and Jason Parker check ash removal system.

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Live your life with purpose and with deliberate intent to live your best life.”

That belief has served Cassandra Wheeler well, not only in daily life but throughout her engineering career. This guiding mantra is central to Wheeler’s most recent professional achievement: plant manager at Gadsden Steam Plant. in April, Wheeler joined the elite roster of female plant managers across Southern Company: Susan Mayfield at Plant Gorgas, Valerie Wade at Mississippi Power’s Plant Daniel and Tracy Hawkins at Georgia Power’s Plant Hammond. Wheeler is the first black woman to attain the esteemed position for America’s largest electric utility. “i am very proud, and i’m grateful for the opportunity to work with such a great team,” Wheeler said. “it’s something i’ve worked hard for, and i’m happy to have the distinction. From a personal standpoint, i want to be successful. it’s important to establish a lasting legacy in this role.” Wheeler brings a mix of Generation experience. She began her career in 2001 as an electrical engineer at Plant Miller, taking increased responsibilities as a Maintenance team leader and Operations team leader. Wheeler served two stints as assistant to former Southern Company Generation Executive Vice President Jerry Stewart from 2003 to 2006. During January to December 2005, she was assistant to Southern Company Vice President of Governmental Relations Buzz Miller in Washington, D.C. Wheeler moved to Plant Gaston in 2006 as Operations supervisor, later serving as Compliance and Support manager. in April 2009, she moved to Georgia Power’s Plant Yates as Maintenance and Engineering manager, working a year before being promoted to Maintenance manager at Plant Miller. Wheeler takes every opportunity to learn as she works toward her goal of serving as manager of a larger facility. “i’m responsible for decisions that impact the entire plant, and the direction and performance goals of the plant; i don’t take this lightly,” Wheeler said. “The goal is to be safe and reliable for our Generation fleet and Transmission. Maintaining stability comes with a great deal of accountability.” Plant Gadsden recently renewed its contract with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. – the plant’s largest customer and Gadsden’s largest industry – to supply steam for manufacturing through 2017. “it’s a lot of responsibility, because when we’re down, they’re down,” Wheeler said. “if we’re not supplying reliable steam at the right pressure, they’re not making tires.” She has made time in her busy schedule to help with the iCan: Girls in Engineering pilot in Gadsden city schools. The program focuses on academically talented girls. Wheeler believes that having a female role model is integral to girls’

success. “Girls don’t always know about women in technical jobs, which may limit their options,” Wheeler said. “Alabama Power’s iCan program introduces young girls to great careers in our industry. We want to expose them to various engineering disciplines, and let them know they can be smart, work hard and be feminine.” it’s a message Wheeler shares with her 12-year-old stepdaughter, as she and her husband Major Wheeler, a Contract coordinator, set the bar high

at home. “i tell her that she can do anything she wants to do, and your work ethic and passion will determine your success,” Cassandra Wheeler said. “You get back what you give. i stress to her that working hard and being smart will give her options that the alternative does not.” Wheeler’s grandmother was the force behind her success in school. “At 8, i was working fractions because it was important to her that i could increase or decrease recipes,” she said. “Anything less than a B was unacceptable to her, and that set me on a path of excellence. i wanted to make her proud.” No one was more thrilled than her grandmother when Wheeler won a full scholarship to the University of Cincinnati, which has a mandatory co-op program for engineering. She earned an MBA at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2007. Wheeler has learned from many valued company mentors and managers, always remembering one bit of advice. “Jerry Stewart told me to pay attention to how decisions are made,” Wheeler said. “He said, ‘For as much as you pay attention to how decisions are made, also watch for how they shouldn’t be made.’ i’ve never forgotten.” There’s another principle Wheeler is determined to live by. “Represent yourself in a manner that makes you proud to be who you are, and that includes having a positive impact on others. You need to make a difference,” she believes.

By Donna Cope

Gadsden Steam Plant leader striving to ‘make a difference’

pROfIlE

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Wheeler is one of four female managers of Southern Company System generating plants.

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Engineer Bill Zemo, left, looks over plans with Wheeler.

muTuAl AssIsTANCE

For one New Jersey couple, saying “thanks” was simply not enough.

Two Western Division crews saw gratitude in action when they stopped at a restaurant for lunch while on the road between assignments during their recent stint restoring service in New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy. When Tuscaloosa Foreman Shawn Peeks asked for the group’s check, he was amazed to learn a couple in the back of the restaurant had picked up the tab for all 25 employees. Touched by the generous gift, the crews filed past the couple’s table to offer their individual thanks. With tears streaming down her face, the woman told the employees she was “overwhelmed they would leave their families” and drive hundreds of miles to restore their power. “it was a proud moment to know this couple, who didn’t even know us, wanted to help us,” said Peeks. This experience is among the many moving stories Alabama Power employees brought home after working 18 days along the East Coast responding to outages caused by the Oct. 29 hurricane and subsequent nor’easter. Working primarily in New Jersey, New York, Maryland and West Virginia, more than 520 employees braved howling wind and frigid snow to aid the millions who were left without power. Storm teams from all six company divisions were on hand, evaluating damages, re-connecting service, repairing distribution and transmission lines, and replacing broken power poles. Doyle Martin, Clanton local operations lineman, and his co-workers had just closed mainline switches to turn on the lights in a Sayerville, N.J., neighborhood when a woman stopped her car and handed them a large box. it turned out the woman, who owned the George Howe Co., had given them a case of Smoky Mountain Trail Mix, her business’ specialty. “When she handed us the box, she said, ‘There’s no way i can thank you for what you are doing,’” said Martin, adding it was the best trail mix he had ever tasted. in Fair Haven, a tiny, isolated New Jersey community, all 6,000 residents had been in the dark for two weeks when a convoy of Alabama Power trucks from Birmingham Division rolled into town. After crews had sloshed through 4-inch snow for two days to restore service, a group of women rallied to show their thanks. They arrived at the company staging area ready to prepare hot dogs and hamburgers. As each truck arrived, the cook team applauded, while “Sweet Home Alabama” played repeatedly. For the next two days, the team returned to cook and serve lunch – with the group of Fair Haven ladies growing larger each time. “People were bringing food from out of the woodwork, dropping it off and leaving. You would have thought it was a Thanksgiving feast,” said Metro South Engineer T.J. Pruitt, who, as assistant team leader, helped coordinate the Birmingham Division storm response efforts in the community. Fair Haven city leaders expected to adopt a resolution at their town council meeting Nov. 26

recognizing Alabama Power employees for their many hours of hard work restoring power. They plan to send copies of the resolution to each employee who played a part in helping the town. “The men and women of Alabama Power are absolutely wonderful,” said Fair Haven Mayor Benjamin Lucarelli. “When Sandy hit, we were 100 percent without power ... then all of a sudden, Alabama Power employees came in and went to work. Providing food was the least we could do.” Alan Whisenant, foreman, Talladega Crew Headquarters/Warehouse, was particularly touched by the gratitude of a Brick, N.J., resident. “You could tell this little lady didn’t have much,” he said, noting the woman’s car was old and home

was small. “She flagged me down, kissed me on the cheek and said, ‘i bought these cookies just for whoever got the lights on.’ What that little lady had to give up and sacrifice for those cookies meant more to us than anything else.” Although Hurricane Sandy demolished another New Jersey woman’s home, she still wanted to show her appreciation to employees for helping her friends and neighbors get power. About

10 p.m. one night, she met the Eastern Division crews at their hotel with boxes decorated with pink ribbons – each containing salt water taffy and a special thank-you note, said Mark Fowler. “it was nice to meet these people and know they really care that we’re out there helping them as best we can,” said Fowler, line construction specialist, Eastern Division Office. Valley Foreman Eddie Wray and his crew were surprised when a man paid tribute to their work by serenading them on bagpipes with “Amazing Grace.” Although employees were thrilled to return home to their families, they will always remember the warm welcome they received from their new friends up North. “it’s not about the food or the giving, because we’re self-sufficient,” Pruitt said. “it was just rewarding to know the people considered us their heroes because we helped them. You don’t know how much you’re appreciated until you get in a situation like that.”

By Carla Davis

PAGE 7

New Jersey residents show gratitude for crews’ help

Some linemen worked for more than two weeks along the Eastern Seaboard.

Crew signed helmet for Fair Haven residents.

Somers Point, N.J., restaurant saluted workers.

Many children wrote letters of appreciation.

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:

Thumbs Up!

IN mEmORIAm

The Southern/Southeastern Appliance Service Crew has achieved Target Zero for

five years, without a recordable injury or preventable vehicle accident. The Southeast

Division team includes, above from left, Joe Fitzgerald, Michael Snipes, Rex Long,

Nathan Harper and Ed Gaylor. The Southern Division team includes, below, in front, David Harris and Lynn Ellis, and standing, Marty Lawrence, Danny

Casebere, Russell Caprara, Paul Combs and Daron Tippins.

Alabama Power retirees Larry Isbell, Wayne Lewis, Bill

Gober, Horace Waugh and Bob Prince had a chance to glance

at Powergrams while visiting Nazare, Portugal.

Shannon H. Braddock, 35, employee, Gaston Steam Plant, Nov. 2.

Harvey D. Hastings, 90, retiree, Construction field forces, Sept. 28.

thomas M. McClenny, 71, retiree, Power Delivery – Varnons, Nov. 4.

Clarence E. Morris, 89, retiree, Gaston Steam Plant, Nov. 2.

Sarah J. trawick, 86, retiree, Hamilton, Oct. 31.

Calvin C. Windsor, 87, retiree, Southern Division Office, Oct. 23.

Chris LeCroy, Metro South Office, received a compliment from a customer who had fallen behind on paying her bill because of a two-month hospital stay. In a call to the Metro South Office, the customer said LeCroy was “very nice, understanding and compassionate during his field visit, and she greatly appreciated his help in satisfactorily resolving her issue.”

Sheri Gaddy, Abbeville Office, received the Volunteer Service Award from the Abbeville Chamber of Commerce for outstanding service to the community and the chamber. Gaddy serves on the Abbeville Chamber board of directors.

LaDonna Cotton, Corporate Headquarters, was honored as Corporate Citizen of the Year by the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence at the organization’s annual Awards Day luncheon Oct. 18. Established in 1978, the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence is a network of shelters for battered women and their children, and includes organizations and individuals concerned about domestic violence. Cotton is Alabama Power’s point of contact for the coalition.

Customer Marlon Copeland called Alabama Power to compliment Teri Porter, Metro South Office, on her courtesy, understanding and assistance.

TARGET ZEROHER ES

Send us your photo holding Powergrams in an

exotic locale.

Gaddy, left, with Ronnie Marshall

Cotton