POWERGRAMS

PROFILE When Valerie Wade decided to pursue a career in electrical engineering during college in the late 1980s, it was an unusual choice for a small-town girl. But it was not that surprising, considering her greatest influence. Although most people are slowing down and looking ahead to retirement in their 50s, Geraldine Smith got her accounting degree and first job after her children were grown. "My grandmother had a huge impact on me growing up," said Wade. "She was a very strong female figure, the salt of the earth. She influenced me to believe in myself and know I could go to college and be successful." Wade has proven through her rise at Southern Company that she has inherited her grandmother's grit and drive. Wade took the reins as the Gorgas Steam Plant manager in April and hit the ground running. "My first plan is to get to know the employees and the processes we use to get things accomplished here," she said. "The only way to do that at a power plant is to get out on the floor, get out on the units, participate in meetings and talk to employees." Next, Wade said she will follow up on urgent action items already on the table. She is making sure the plant is on track to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's Mercury and Air Toxins Standards. Wade is also getting up to speed on the baghouse being installed on units 8, 9 and 10 for pollution control. Set for completion in early 2016, the baghouse will help Gorgas meet mandates for power plants to reduce dependence on coal. Wade sees challenges ahead for the plant, which include the seamless transition of the baghouse into day to day operation, and replacing longtime employees who have retired or who are moving into new opportunities. "It's a changing environment," she said. "Because of the changes with the units and the increased employee turnover, our people are being challenged more and more. We have to learn to adapt and adjust to the differences, and work smarter so we can continue to be successful." With her move to Gorgas, Wade has worked at all four operating companies and at 10 generating facilities, including Plants Crist, Smith and Scholz at Gulf Power, Bowen and Branch at Georgia Power, and Watson, Eaton, Sweatt and Daniel at Mississippi Power. "Like anything in life, the more things you see, the more you understand," she said. "While all the plants have common practices throughout, each has its own tendencies based on different public service commissions, different leadership over time and different equipment. For me, walking into the job at Gorgas was very comfortable – knowing what to ask, what to look for, where to adjust and where to just let it be because it's really not that important. The key is not to be surprised when things are different than at other plants." Since joining Southern Company as a cooperative education student in 1990 and becoming a full-time engineer three years later, Wade said she has learned many valuable lessons about the fossil generation business. Most recently, as manager of Plant Daniel, she was in the rare position to contribute from beginning to end on the design and construction of a new scrubber for units 1 and 2. That experience gave her the opportunity to have a long-term impact on the plants' success by partnering with Engineering and Construction Services, communicating the end in mind, and placing plant personnel in key positions to achieve the "best end-result possible," she said. Her first pivotal experience, Wade said, came when she transferred to Gulf Power as a project engineer at Plant Crist. Because of the instrumentation and controls experience she gained at Southern Company Services, Wade was hired to manage the conversion of unit 7 – a $5.5 million project involving the replacement of pneumatic controls with electronic ones. "I had the privilege of leading a cross-departmental team – operations, instrumentation, electricians and I&C specialists. I learned a great deal from them about how a power plant works," she said. "But even more important, I learned about how you get things done in a power plant, and about the people." While at Crist, Wade worked as outage and contracts coordinator. She oversaw outages on all seven units, put together specifications for bids and awarded contracts on large projects such as the replacement of boiler and turbine components. During the next 10 years, Wade rose through leadership roles at Gulf and Georgia Power. In 2008, she moved to Mississippi Power for her first job as plant manager in charge of Watson, Eaton and Sweatt. Born in Baton Rouge, La., and raised in Selma, Wade graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering. "I call it fate," Wade said, of her decision to change her major after talking to an acquaintance about his engineering job. "I had no idea what engineers did, and I didn't understand the business environment. But my interest in engineering was piqued." As a Crimson Tide fan, Wade said she's "tickled" to be back in the heart of Roll Tide country. After work, she plays golf with her husband, Alton, or unwinds with a good book. "I've enjoyed moving to different places," Wade said. "I have friends all over the Southeast and work colleagues all over the company. But I'm excited to be back home and looking forward to getting to know the employees at the plant and learning more about Alabama Power." By Carla Davis New Gorgas plant manager hits ground running in Parrish 2 Talented high school students from every state spent two weeks in Mobile for the 2015 Distinguished Young Women competition supported by Alabama Power. ON THE COVER: Wade

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