POWERGRAMS

With all eyes fi rmly fi xed on the COVID-19 pandemic and its spread worldwide, taking the 2020 census has been the last thing on a lot of people's minds. By June, just over half of Alabamians had completed the census. But because of its overarching importance to Alabama and the nation, the census cannot be forgo en. "The 2020 census is critical to the future of our state," said Kenneth Boswell, director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Aff airs (ADECA) and chairman of the Alabama Counts 2020 Census commi ee. "It only comes along every 10 years, so we must take every advantage of this opportunity to positively impact the future of our state for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren." But just as the census – the nationwide canvass of who lives where – began to get underway in Alabama in mid- March, the coronavirus hit the state. The U.S. Census Bureau and Alabama Counts had to change gears. "At the state level with Alabama Counts, many of our initial plans were aff ected because they relied on community events and person-to-person outreach," said Boswell. "The U.S. Census Bureau also paused all fi eld operations in the state. In the interim, we have shi ed to strategies that reached people while they were at home due to the shelter-in-place guidelines with increased social media, advertising, phone banking and similar strategies." In May, the Census Bureau reopened its fi eld offi ces and began door-to-door delivery of information. Workers are wearing personal protective gear, including masks and gloves, and are practicing social distancing by leaving census materials at front doors, Boswell said. They were trained on how to safely interact with the public during this process. Due to COVID-19, the deadline for completing the census has been extended to Oct. 31. Workers will begin follow-ups on Aug. 15 with those who had not completed the census. "We must continue to urge our friends and neighbors to complete the census so the state can reap the maximum benefi t," Boswell said. "We cannot aff ord to lose ground over the next 10 years." Alabama Power – part of the census team Alabama Power is working closely with the Alabama Counts commi ee and the U.S. Census Bureau to support the census, which directly impacts federal representation and can help bring in billions of dollars. To that end, company leaders, like Quentin Riggins, are heading eff orts to encourage employees and the public to complete the census. "Having more time to respond to the census is an opportunity Alabamians can't miss," said Riggins, senior vice president of Governmental and Corporate Aff airs. "When it comes to making sure our education, health care and even veterans' interests are recognized, we need state representation on the federal level. Having that helps determine the state's share of federal aid, and that's vital to the economic health of Alabama." When the virus led to the shutdown of the state, Alabama Power also had to rethink its campaign to help promote the census, said Corporate Aff airs Manager Aaron Latham. "We had planned to support Alabama Counts' eff orts by using signage and distributing printed materials in our local business offi ces," Latham said. "But once the pandemic hit, we had to 'call an audible.' Because we weren't having people come into our business offi ces, we moved all our resources to Company supporting Company supporting crucial statewide census crucial statewide census 2020 efforts 2020 efforts By Carla Davis 26

• Cover