POWERGRAMS

10 Foreman Wayne "Rebel" Silas said Rickey was "an efficient worker who knew how to do everything." Along with working on the crew together, the two are longtime buddies and were neighbors in Winfield for many years. "I remember when he left for Land Acquisition, our foreman said, 'We lost Rickey. What are we going to do?'" Silas said. Working the land the Alabama Power way In 1987, Reed moved to Corporate Real Estate (CRE), where he worked for the next 20 years as a distribution right-of-way agent in Land Acquisition. "When I arrived, there was a building boom going on in what was then the Northwest District," Reed said. "They released the two contractors who were working that territory, and I ended up with all six counties. But I never looked back, and I never regretted the move." As a Land Acquisition coordinator for transmission since 2007, Reed said he has traveled thousands of miles and worked in all six divisions at one time or another. Today, Reed oversees CRE projects in Birmingham, Western and Eastern divisions, which can include negotiating the purchase of transmission rights- of-way and leases on sites where company facilities will be built. He manages project budgets and work schedules, and makes sure each job is completed on time. "There's real satisfaction in finishing a job and seeing the completed project, whether it's a new substation or a transmission line," Reed said. One of his proudest moments at Alabama Power, Reed said, was receiving the Presidential Award of Honor in 1987, along with five co-workers, for helping save the life of another employee. Reed and the crew members took turns administering CPR when one of their co-workers suffered a heart attack at a company Christmas party. Reed has been active in the community, serving on the Winfield Chamber of Commerce board for 20 years, including as president in 2000. For 44 years, he played a lead role in organizing the Winfield chamber's annual Mule Day Festival, which celebrates the area's heritage and the working mule. It draws more than 30,000 people from across the Southeast to Winfield each September, Reed said. Before handing the reins to others two years ago, Reed said he scheduled the musical entertainment for the two-day festival, arranged for electrical hook-ups for vendor booths and rode the mile-long parade route to help keep the mules and other animals in line. Along with his community efforts, Reed returned to college in 1993 and received a degree in human resource management at Faulkner University. Reed was an Alabama Power Lifeliner for 34 years, presenting the company's Safe-T-Opolis program. Although it targets fourth grade classes, Reed said he was often asked to present the program to high school juniors and seniors. "After I finished the presentation, I always took time to talk about the need for workers with technical skills, and the fact that although all parents want their child to go to college, there are some who aren't cut out for it," Reed said. "But there is a need right now for plumbers, electricians, people in HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and even linemen. Students can finish a technical program at a junior college in two years, while four-year college students are still accumulating student debt. I am aware of several in Winfield who have gone that route, and that gives me a sense of accomplishment." After-hours Until recently, playing the fiddle in country music bands on the weekends was a way of life for Reed, Reed with fellow Winfield linemen early in his career. Reed plays fiddle during Rock the South festival.

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