POWERGRAMS

7 part in some projects in 2020, but I look forward to the opportunities of 2021 and the community partnerships we will strengthen this year." Crawford said the Farley/Southeast Chapter is always seeking new members and new ways to support the community. APSO State board member Arnab Ghosal has been involved in the Magic City Chapter since he joined the company 15 years ago. He's distributed food through two food bank projects, helped build three Habitat homes and aided other endeavors. Ghosal sees APSO as a conduit for helping beer the community and build relationships. "I'm even more excited for the next 30 years, as we make APSO even more powerful and engaging," said Ghosal, Connectivity and Innovation manager - Power Delivery. "There's a lot more needs out there, and a lot more room to grow and make even more of an impact in our state." APSO 2021 State President Jacki-Lyn Lowry said the importance of being active in APSO was ingrained in her from her first day as an intern in Eastern Division. "I saw the passion and motivation in employees when they were planning and implementing a project," said the Community Development specialist. "I also saw, over and over again, the excitement and appreciation from the organizations who benefited from our partnerships." Indeed, APSO is all about relationships, Lowry said. "Whether it is co-workers working together to plan a project, reading to students in a classroom or celebrating birthdays with elderly residents in a nursing home, hands-on volunteering is what has always made APSO's service to our community so special. APSO and relationships go hand in hand." Lowry has been on the Eastern Division board six years and was Eastern Division chapter president in 2016. At the state level, she has been a board member at large and was 2020 vice president. Her favorite volunteer projects involve educational outreach, whether sharing a story with preschoolers through Read Across America or seeing an administrator's vision for a sensory room take shape with the handiwork of APSO volunteers. Her focus this year is on childhood literacy. The company and APSO have greatly evolved during the past three decades. "Each year APSO continues to adapt to meet the changing needs of the communities we serve," Lowry said. "This year, I look forward to working with our membership to continue identifying innovative ways that we can tackle the state's most critical issues through our service." by Donna Cope If it's Christmastime, APSO members are shopping for kids. Clockwise from top left, Karen White of Gaston Chapter; Tammy Reece and Tabitha Argent of Magic City Chapter; Goddess Hudson and Dawn Bush of Mobile Chapter; and Wells Cooner, Jennifer Jones and Tammie Griffin of Magic City.

• Cover