POWERGRAMS

32 32 Alabama Power Office Thomasville Business Office Manager Danny D'Andrea is set to retire aer 45 years with the company. The Brewton native was "hired on the spot" in Mobile as a 20-year-old master electrician and spent the rest of his career in the same division. Aer 17 years in Thomasville engineering, D'Andrea went to the other side of operations as manager of the Butler Office, then moved to Brewton in 1995 and back to Thomasville in 2004. "Being here the past 18 years, I know a lot of the folks," D'Andrea says. "We've got a lot of friends in Thomasville. It's a great community to be in." D'Andrea's return to Thomasville was on the heels of a literal whirlwind, as Hurricane Ivan, the most destructive storm in company history, spawned more than 30 tornadoes across southern Alabama. "It took three to four weeks to get every light back on," he says. "A week later, I le Brewton for Thomasville." D'Andrea headed efforts to build the 7,000-square- foot Thomasville Office that opened under budget in 2010 with an indoor concrete-reinforced storm shelter among the most important features for employees and customers. He's been active in the community, heading the Chamber of Commerce and leading other economic development endeavors. D'Andrea is known around Thomasville for the 25,000 Christmas lights he's displayed at his home the past 10 years. "I start working on it the second week in November and turn them on the day aer Thanksgiving," says D'Andrea. "Everything dances to the music. It all stays up until New Year's Day." He and his wife of 37 years, Jan, have two grown children: Nichole Stinson, who is the Thomasville Library director, and Derrick D'Andrea; and two grandchildren, Emerson, 5, and Easton, 8 months. Customer Service Representative Tameka Dixon has been with the company 16 years, all in the Thomasville Office. The Fulton native previously worked for the state of Alabama for two years before she "just took a chance and was fortunate enough to get the job" with Alabama Power. Dixon takes customer payments, telephone calls, Appliance Center inquiries and makes sales. She enjoys working 15 minutes from home and "knowing everyone who comes in the office." Dixon has a daughter, Tamia, 17, and a son, Trenton, 12. Customer Service Representative Laura Hixon has been with Alabama Power for 27 years, working three years in Atmore, followed by two decades in Grove Hill and the past four years in the Thomasville Office. Hixon was previously a manager for Family Dollar stores in Alabama and Mississippi. While at Coastal Alabama Community College Atmore, she was recommended for a local job at Alabama Power. She said aer working so many years in Grove Hill, Thomasville "is a big city, comparatively." Hixon remains on the Grove Hill Public Library board and is a former Chamber of Commerce president. Hixon's 22-year-old daughter, Kelsey, was the 2015 APC Presidential Scholar and is in the final year of the University of Alabama's five-year engineering program. Kelsey has interned the past three summers in Alabama Power offices. Customer Service Representative Lakendra Lucy has worked for the company for two years. The Jackson native lives in Dixons Mills about 15 miles from Thomasville. Lucy is a Jackson High School and University of Phoenix graduate. She and her husband, Gabriel, have two children: Brendon, 9, and Cameron, 6. She waited until Cameron was in kindergarten to begin filling out lots of online job applications. "Alabama Power called me back and I was surprised," Lucy says. "Everyone I work with is friendly and helpful. I didn't expect that at such a big company. People tell me they are just a call away anytime I need help. I've never had a negative experience here. Being the new girl on the block, I appreciate that." Thomasville Business Office employees Buck Jones, Dixon, D'Andrea, Hixon and Engineer Logan Bishop.

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