POWERGRAMS

41 HAPPY TRAILS When Danny D'Andrea announced his retirement this summer, nobody thought he would slow down. In fact, Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day said he already has a list of projects in mind for D'Andrea. "The way I look at it is Alabama Power may be losing Danny full time, but we are getting him full time," Day said. D'Andrea, who is serving his third term as president of the Thomasville Chamber of Commerce, said he is up for the challenge. After 45 years at Alabama Power, his Aug. 9 retirement simply marked the start of a new chapter. Over the years, D'Andrea has had a hand in many significant economic development efforts, which include helping to pave the way for the $40.5 million Thomasville Regional Medical Center opening in October and the Golden Dragon Copper plant east of town. D'Andrea has headed logistics for many communitywide events. He played a key role in Clarke County's first Special Olympics in 22 years. Former Republican presidential nominee John McCain's 2008 visit to town didn't even daunt D'Andrea, who made the job of coordinating the high-profile event look easy. "Danny is a true leader and team player," Day said. "There have been countless events where he has been in charge of logistics and setup, and they have gone flawlessly. Our goal in Thomasville is to achieve the unachievable. And we've been able to achieve the unachievable because of leaders like Danny."  As former manager of Alabama Power's Thomasville, Butler, Jackson and Grove Hill offices, D'Andrea describes himself as a "troubleshooter and problem- solver." "My specialty is troubleshooting: trying to figure out what is not working and how to fix it," D'Andrea said. "Any problem or any complaint comes to me. I'm a resource for people inside and outside the company. If I can't fix it, I know who can. I put the parties together who can solve the issue and then I step out of the way." In one instance, D'Andrea found an answer for an issue affecting all of Alabama Power. Until about seven years ago, employees completed their financial Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) reports by hand — a tedious process that could take up to six hours. D'Andrea, who taught himself how to use a computer in the 1980s when they were still relatively new, figured out how to generate his reports electronically after-hours and then retrieve, process and file them the next day. He then convinced company management to allow him to work with IT to bring his electronic process to employees companywide. Now the reports can be whipped out in about 20 minutes, D'Andrea said. D'Andrea was always on the move for APC, often pitching in when the office got busy or was shorthanded, said Mobile Division Area Manager Jill Stork, who worked with him for five years. "Danny takes on any role needed to get the job done," she said. "You may find him cashiering one morning, working until midnight that evening to make sure the crews are taken care of, and showing appliances the next day. So many departments rely on him, not just the department he works in." D'Andrea said working with customers gives him the most satisfaction on the job. "I love dealing with our customers because I've known some of them, their parents and grandparents," he said. "I treat them like my family. If they don't pay their bills, I fuss at them just like I would my two children." D'Andrea's early years at Alabama Power D'Andrea was originally hired as an engineering aide Thomasville Troubleshooter D'ANDREA CAPS 45 YEARS OF PROBLEM-SOLVING IN SOUTH ALABAMA BY CARLA DAVIS D'Andrea is a familiar face in Thomasville.

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