POWERGRAMS

20 MILESTONE Although he has reached his 50-year milestone at Alabama Power, Warner Patterson Warner Patterson said retirement is not even on his radar. "I don't fish, hunt or play golf, and I'm not into football," said 69-year- old Patterson, training supervisor in the Training Center at the General Services Complex. "I'm not here for the money, but I just can't sit at home. I've got to do something, so why leave?" Patterson's co-workers said his experience and knowledge will be missed when he decides to take that next step. With 28 years at the Training Center, along with nearly two decades in Power Delivery Distribution and Transmission, it's no wonder. "Warner has seen a lot of major changes and has a wealth of knowledge. You name it, he's done it," said Training Team Leader Delron Garrett Delron Garrett. Garrett has worked alongside Patterson for the past three years. Patterson was one of Garrett's training instructors when Garrett joined the company as a utility assistant in 2002. "He's done the same things I'm trying to do right now," said Garrett. "He can tell you the things you are going to run into before you get there. There's nothing you can't ask him about the job that he wouldn't know and understand. If he doesn't know, he's not too proud to tell you he doesn't know but will find out." The Training Center team recognized Patterson's many contributions with a celebration on his 50-year anniversary on Nov. 16, 2021, and named an on-the-job training (OJT) field at the GSC in his honor. The Warner Patterson OJT Field is one of those in which new Power Delivery employees practice skills, such as pole-climbing, pulling and moving wires and hanging transformers. As training supervisor since 2019, Patterson oversees and manages course curricula and skills training for Distribution, Transmission, Substations and Networking, as well as the cafeteria staff at the facility. He coordinates the lineworker training programs that Alabama Power sponsors in partnership with four Alabama community colleges and fills in as an instructor at the training center when needed. "Watching an individual who has been hired off the street and knows nothing about electricity get to where he can build and maintain power lines in a short time and knowing I've been a part of that, that's rewarding," Patterson said. "I've had linemen say, 'I was in your class and you taught me this, and I'll never forget it.' That's a testament to the instructor." Patterson is a subject matter expert in the area of work zone traffic control safety and has chaired Alabama Power's traffic control committee. He teaches traffic control certification classes, which provide training on the proper use of advanced warning signals, such as signs, lights and cones, when company crews are working along busy rights of way. "Warner really cares about people and is a key part of our team," said Safety and Training Manager Bill McGough Bill McGough, whose working relationship with Patterson dates back nearly 30 years. "We have a lot of young employees in our department, and we're losing a lot of experience. Warner has been that anchor that has helped them develop in their roles as far as keeping them on the right track, and making sure they stay grounded and know what's important." "Warner is someone you could go to for advice. He will lead you in the right direction and keep you out of trouble," added Allen Gray Allen Gray, training coordinator. After graduating from high school in Roanoke, Patterson started auto mechanics training at Opelika State Technical College, with no plans to work at Alabama Power until he was approached by a family friend who worked at the company. When he learned from his friend that there are auto mechanics at Alabama Power, he applied for a job and was hired as a helper in the Eastern Division Garage in 1971. Patterson soon took a job as a tree trimmer and then as a meter reader in Roanoke, his hometown. In 1973, he moved to Power Delivery, where he rose through the ranks on the line crew, finally becoming a foreman in Greenville in 1993. "For me, the most rewarding times in my career were working storm trouble," Patterson said. "You go into a town, and there's not a light on. By dark, half the town is back up, and people are thanking you, patting you on the back and offering you a Coke. They're really thankful to have somebody working for them." Patterson said missing family time was the hardest part of working on a line crew. "I missed a lot of my children's lives," Patterson said. "I've worked as much as 36 consecutive hours. You get in at 2 or 3 in the morning when they are all asleep and the next day, it's the same thing. When my son played T-ball in Greenville, I never saw a game." HALF-CENTURY ON THE JOB PATTERSON ENJOYS SHARING KNOWLEDGE WITH WORKERS AT GSC by Carla Davis Patterson is well-known for his on-the-job training efforts. Patterson points out safety measures for new workers.

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