POWERGRAMS

HAPPY TRAILS 42 When Angie Fortner got her first Alabama Power job at Gaston Steam Plant more than 40 years ago, some people said that's where her career would begin and end. But she proved them wrong. Fortner has traveled the company, working in five of the six divisions as well as at Corporate Headquarters. "That was a great experience," said Fortner. "It allows you to learn new things and develop a network of people you can call on when you are hunting for information. At one point in time, I knew somebody in every division." During the last 11 years of her career before retiring this year, she had finally seled in one spot, working at the Eastern Division Office as a corporate budget analyst. It was her job to create and track the operations and maintenance and forecasting budgets for the division Distribution organization. "Angie always had a smile on her face and was a pleasure to be around," said Corporate Headquarters Budgeting and Accounting Manager Ken Nolan. "She was also extremely knowledgeable because of her broad background in Distribution and Engineering, which made her invaluable to us in the budgeting organization." Alabama Power trailblazer From the start of her career, Fortner was breaking barriers and blazing trails for women in Generation and Distribution. She was hired as an 18-year-old summer student at Plant Gaston, the facility where her dad, Q.P. Abner, was a crew foreman. In 1978, Fortner was studying engineering at Alabama Christian College in Montgomery when she was offered full-time work as a Gaston utilityman. Thinking she would complete her degree later, she jumped at the job offer. In that role, she provided administrative support for the plant. With only seven women among the 500 workers when Fortner came on board, it was strictly a man's world at Plant Gaston. But she was never daunted. "The men all treated me like a daughter or younger sister," said Fortner. "It was fun and a great bonding time with the other employees." Aer four years, Fortner wanted to return to her dream of engineering. She took computer classes at work to prepare her for that move. She landed an engineering aide job in 1985 in Long-Term Contracts at Corporate Headquarters. Fortner was then hired as the first female engineering aide in the Montevallo Office. "It was a challenge," she said. "The line crews and customers wanted to know why there was a woman in that job. But I hope I helped make it an easier place to work for the women who came aer me." Fortner quickly proved her worth. In the first year, she ranked in the top 10 in the Western Division for estimated dollars and man-hours that she brought in for the Fortner stitched together career of firsts for females by Carla Davis

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