Connections

3 There is something very powerful in one's DNA. That hereditary material in humans – and almost all other organisms – is the property that determines how someone looks and even functions in life. For employees, Zeke Smith said, that "special Alabama Power DNA" predisposes folks to acting in the best interest of their communities and their state. "When you think about the DNA of our company, it's about our employees," said Smith, executive vice president of External Affairs, speaking to APSO members during the Elevate Conference in Perdido. "You are the brightest light we have. Giving 50,000 hours of service to Alabama is big – the impact you make on our communities is a big deal. Can you name any other company that does that? It's a great thing when a company and its employees help lift up communities that need a helping hand." That legacy of employees giving back to the state has prevailed throughout the company's 108-year history, Smith pointed out. "Our company is built on community service and employee volunteerism," he said. "It's in our DNA. It's something that customers see as part of us – it's part of our identity. I am very proud to work for a company that strives to do better every day, whose efforts concentrate on moving forward." That is one of the reasons why – year after year – Alabama Power ranks among the state's most admired companies. Indeed, the company's corporate culture is built around keeping the customer and the community at the forefront, an idea that also benefits the business in the long run. Employee volunteerism will always be an important component within the company, Smith believes. He sees employees as the company's "ambassadors of good" who constantly work to make Alabama a great place to live. "As a company, we make very big efforts to promote and retain jobs," Smith said. "Making sure that our state thrives is something we take very seriously. Our intent is to always move from great to greater every day." By Donna Cope APSO members are 'brightest light' Child advocacy centers – many of them nonprofits that are United Way agencies – turned out to be a life-saver for Allison Black Cornelius. In her mid-20s, Cornelius was seemingly thriving. She was a young, married woman who was busy building her career at the Birmingham Business Journal. A chance phone call forever changed Cornelius' life. One afternoon in 1994, as Cornelius was making phone calls for the Journal, she happened to speak to an old friend from Tarrant City. The words she heard shook her to the core: "Leon is back in the church, and he's working in Trussville." Frozen in her tracks, Cornelius said she could barely think. As a 7-year-old, Cornelius had been terrorized and sexually abused over a three-month period by Leon, a youth minister at her family's church. Cornelius' first step was to call Bob McGregor, then-Jefferson County district attorney. Though the events occurred in 1972, McGregor said that was a capital offense at that time. "So, we could prosecute Leon," Cornelius said. She never fathomed that it would take four years and a trip to the Alabama Supreme Court to receive justice. The perpetrator was found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison. The case set a legal precedent for the oldest rape convicted in the U.S. Since then, Cornelius has appeared on TV shows ranging from news programs to talk shows such as Phil Donahue, telling her story. Today, Cornelius is a child protection activist and owner of Blackfish, a consulting strategies firm. She serves as an advocate for abused children. Cornelius said that United Way agencies such as Prescott House and Gateway in Birmingham, among several other charitable groups – enabled her to heal by providing counseling. "At the time, I didn't realize that all those many years, I really hadn't healed emotionally," She said. "Alabama Power and Southern Company have been huge supporters of agencies that help children. Your company and your culture saved my life, you don't know how much you meant to me." She thanked APSO members for their strong support of child advocacy groups. In honor of Cornelius' work in child advocacy and protection, APSO gave a $5,000 gift to St. Mary's Home of Mobile, the state's oldest residential treatment facility for abused and neglected children in Alabama. By Donna Cope Healing is the children's bread Smith said APSO members' legacy of service speaks for itself: Members have given of themselves to their communities for nearly 25 years. A vocal proponent of children's rights, Cornelius is thrilled that APSO is committed to assisting agencies that support Alabama's youngest citizens.

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