POWERGRAMS

1 "It boils down to helping people," Wright said. "I want our employees to be able to go back home at the end of their day and hug their family. I take that with me every day." Steve Hicks, fire safety coordinator for Southern Company Generation, presented the award and praised Wright's persistence in completing the extensive qualifications required for the position. "She has worked steadily to achieve all the training for the role and serves in a leadership capacity," Hicks said. Wright completed her final qualifications in February, achieving a goal she pursued for a decade. A dream realized "It's been my dream to be a lead instructor for probably 10 years," she said. "I finally got it done, and I'm thrilled about it." Her path to the role reflects two decades with Alabama Power and years of experience across Operations, Fuel Handling, Compliance, Safety and Maintenance. Wright worked 10 years at Plant Greene County before transferring to Plant Barry 10 years ago. Along the way, Wright remained heavily involved with emergency response and safety initiatives. She completed extensive training requirements, including 80-hour initial rescue courses, annual refresher training, medical response certifications and basic fire response. "I've taken hours and hours of training," she said. "So, I've been a part of a lot." This year alone, Wright taught two 80-hour rescue classes and served as an instructor and evaluator during Generation's Rescue Rodeo at Plant Watson Barry Maintenance Specialist and ERT Instructor Tabitha Wright performs a confined- space rescue. (contributed) Tabitha Wright honored as first woman ERT instructor at Alabama Power For Tabitha Wright, being part of Plant Barry's Emergency Response Team (ERT) always comes down to one thing: helping people get home safely. That commitment recently earned the Plant Barry maintenance specialist recognition as Alabama Power's newest ERT lead instructor for confined space rescue training. Wright, honored during a Plant Barry employee safety meeting, is also the first woman at Alabama Power to serve in the role. She is currently the only female ERT instructor across Southern Company, following in the footsteps of Candace Coggin, who has since retired but was instrumental in establishing and growing the ERT program across the Generation fleet. Greg Johnson of Metering Services received high honors during the 94th annual conference of the North Carolina Meter and Grid Technology School, where he was inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame. Renowned as the top electric metering school in the Eastern U.S., the North Carolina Meter and Grid Technology School honors outstanding contributions to the profession while providing training and networking opportunities. Johnson, meter supervisor in Power Delivery for Southern, Southeast and Mobile divisions, has enjoyed a nearly 36-year career at Alabama Power and Southern Company. He has served in numerous leadership roles for the North Carolina Meter and Grid Technology organization. Johnson started as a helper at Alabama Power in 1990 and was activated for the Desert Storm campaign in January 1991. Upon returning, Johnson read meters in Auburn. He moved to Metering at Georgia Power from 2004 to 2011, rejoining Alabama Power in March 2011. "Greg has played a leadership role in the conference, serving as vice chair from 2019 to 2023 and then chair for the entire conference from 2024 to 2025," noted Clint Foster, Metering Services manager in Power Delivery. "I'm extremely proud of Greg and his accomplishments." Johnson said, "We've gone from mechanical meters – with magnets in some cases – to 100 percent electronic meters that not only send out readings to our billing system but also provide power quality information ranging from voltage to blinks. We didn't have that information in the past. It's a new age for metering." Johnson inducted into Hall of Fame at prestigious North Carolina conference in Gulfport, Mississippi. The event places responders in realistic scenarios for confined- space rescues that mirror emergencies they could face in the plant. "All the things we do could happen in our plants," Wright said. "You're in a plant setting, not a classroom. It's set up where you respond like you would at work." The work requires technical expertise and critical thinking. Confined-space rescues can involve hazardous atmospheres, supplied-air equipment, spinal injury precautions and more. While often responding with limited information, ERT members must quickly assess risks while protecting the patient and responders. "Everything is situational," Wright said. Plant Barry's location makes the team especially important. Hicks noted that it takes time for emergency responders to reach the plant. When seconds matter, on-site ERT personnel often are the first line of assistance. "There was a time I thought about getting off ERT when somebody didn't make it," Wright said. "But I told myself, imagine if I could have made a difference. If something were to happen to someone in my family, I hope someone would be around to help them." Wright hopes her achievement encourages more women to pursue emergency response leadership roles. Last year, she led the first all-female team to compete in a Rescue Rodeo. Wright's six-member group competed alongside several teams made up of men. "We made it work," Wright said. "We didn't back down from it, and we got it done." Despite the recognition, she said the most rewarding part of the job remains simple. "I just care about people," Wright said. "I want them to be OK. If I can help you be OK, I want to do that." By Donna Cope 1 Johnson's career spans 36 years. (contributed)

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