POWERGRAMS

8 SHINING STARS Hundreds of employees and retirees of Alabama Power and its sister companies in the state volunteered for thousands of hours during the World Games in Birmingham. "Everywhere I went, volunteers came up to me thanking us for the opportunity to serve," said Jonathan Porter, senior vice president of Operations and chairman of the World Games board of directors. "They all did a great job, with a servant's attitude, focused on finding solutions and doing it with a smile and kindness. Those Southern niceties were present every day at every venue." Those efforts were appreciated by TWG Executive Vice President of Community & Volunteer Engagement Kathy Boswell, who said the Alabama Power volunteers "served like champions" throughout the 11 days of the Games. About 3,300 people from across the state were volunteers July 7-17. She said major volunteer support was needed for the opening ceremony, where Alabama Power was the title sponsor, as well as at other events on an as-needed basis. The APC volunteer response was "a blessing," she said. "It felt good to know I had a 'reserve' team of volunteers on standby," Boswell said. Employees were offered a special one-time volunteer benefit for up to 20 hours during a normal work schedule. Their efforts not only supported the Birmingham community but aided economic development statewide, Boswell said. "The volunteers exceeded my expectations in every way," said World Games CEO Nick Sellers. "So many great people braved the heat and the elements with smiles on their faces to help us deliver the Games. They represented the very best of our city and state. I tried to personally thank as many as I could. They were a shining star for The World Games 2022 and for our city." Human Resources Manager Brad Hilsmier volunteered and helped recruit others. He said that some international sports federation officials upon arriving in Birmingham presented unexpected requests but volunteers were flexible and quickly implemented whatever was needed. He said volunteers learned "to just roll with it, plus take initiative to help in the unexpected areas." His roles included handing out sandwiches, greeting people, providing directions, ushering, locating chairs and picking up trash. "And I even got to put my Spanish skills to work to translate instructions from a finswimming official for the other volunteers," Hilsmier said. "It was a win-win for our employees. They definitely wanted us to put the best possible face on Birmingham." COMMUNITY Sellers speaks during closing ceremonies, with Porter watching at center. Swindle takes a selfie as the Hoover Met prepared for a World Games softball contest.

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