POWERGRAMS

16 16 "I had an uncle who used to work at the company," he said. "I wanted a good-paying job, and I knew Alabama Power was a good company." After six months, Howard moved to the Valley Office for a brief time as a meter reader and then came home to Phenix City as a truck driver. In the early 1970s, he found his niche as an apprentice and then a lineman. Along with working full-time, Howard went to college, graduating from Troy State University in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. Billy Norris remembers working alongside Howard more than 50 years ago. A new utilityman at the time, Norris looked up to the then-lineman. "Willie is one of the best linemen I ever worked around," said Norris, real estate specialist, Phenix City Crew Headquarters. "He could climb a pole in a couple of seconds and outwork anybody when it came to working from a pole. He's the only person I know of who could cut a 5/16-inch guy wire with a pair of side cutters." It was not always smooth sailing, though. Morgan remembers when Howard got stranded atop a pole. "Willie accidentally stepped into a light circuit, and it burned the tip off his pole-climbing hook," Morgan said. "I had to send my hook up to him so he could get down the pole." Now an LOL for more than 30 years, Howard is a first responder when the lights go out in Phenix City. He deals with everything from handling trouble calls to pulling and setting meters to re-installing electric service. "You name it, I do it," he said. Like Norris and Morgan, Phenix City long-time employees have shared good times with Howard through the years. There's Thompson, who said Howard never got on the computer bandwagon. When they worked together, he turned to her for help in completing training or other tasks on the computer, she said with a smile. Mitchell said Howard is a "sweet soul, who would give you the shirt off his back." But he is also a "jokester." Mitchell remembers the time when Howard and some of the guys got her in trouble with her husband. "When I started working at the warehouse about 25 years ago as a dispatcher, I was the only female, and the guys would play jokes on me," she said. "I had driven my husband's new red pickup truck to work, and Willie and the other guys stuck an Alabama Power sign on the passenger door. When my husband saw it, he said, 'What have you done to my truck?' I didn't even know the sign was there." In his free time, Howard cuts grass and takes care of other odd jobs at his church, and tends his large vegetable garden. He is a true family man, spending lots of time with his wife, Elnora, three daughters and three grandchildren, ages 22, 17 and one. With so many years at Alabama Power under his belt, Howard said he plans to retire in April and will finally have time to start restoring his 1957 Chevrolet and two 1959 Apache trucks. McVey said Howard is a role model and has been a mentor for many of the younger employees. "I can only imagine the things Willie has seen and the experiences he's had," McVey said. "His dedication and wealth of knowledge is through the roof." Howard looks back on his career with pride. "Alabama Power has meant a lot to me," he said. "I love the job and I love the people. I have made better friends here than I think I would have anywhere else." By Carla Davis Howard is widely respected for his expertise. Howard often helps out at his church. Howard enjoys restoring old vehicles. PHOTO BY BILLY BROWN

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