Alabama Power salutes military veterans

On the eve of Veterans Day, Alabama Power salutes the state's military veterans and their families.

Alabama Power and parent company, Southern Company, are recognized as military-friendly and veteran-friendly employers. About 10 percent of all Southern Company employees are veterans.

"Veterans have the skills and work ethic our company thrives on," said Jonathan Porter, Alabama Power’s vice president of Human Resources and Ethics. "Their pride, dedication and commitment add tremendous value to our workforce."

Alabama Power is actively involved in the Troops to Energy Jobs program, a recruiting source that links veterans to careers in the energy industry. So far this year, 9 percent of all hires at Alabama Power are veterans.

The company partners with military Transition Assistance Program managers and Employer Support of Guard and Reserve personnel to identify and match qualified veterans to job opportunities.

Alabama Power also places special emphasis on supporting the families of employees who have been deployed away from home to serve our nation. Through the "Operation Enduring Family" initiative, the company stays in close contact with the families of employees who are deployed, with volunteers standing ready to provide support while the families’ loved ones are away. "It’s a great way to show that we genuinely care," Porter said.

Alabama Power and the independent nonprofit Alabama Power Foundation honor veterans and support veteran-related programs and the military in a number of other ways. Among recent activities:

• The company is working with military and Alabama National Guard leaders to improve the energy efficiency of facilities across the state.
• The company is a longtime supporter of Birmingham’s Veterans Day Parade, the longest running Veterans Day parade in the United States. This year’s parade kicks off at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 11 in downtown Birmingham.
• The foundation recently provided a grant to help preserve and maintain Veterans Memorial Park in Tuscaloosa.

To learn more about how Alabama Power and Southern Company support veterans, please visit www.alabamapower.com and search for "veterans." To learn more about the Alabama Power Foundation, please visit www.powerofgood.com.

Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO), provides reliable, affordable electricity to more than 1.4 million customers across the state.