Our next meeting is scheduled for March 9, 2020 at the Energy Center, the Southern Company Services/Southern Nuclear offices at the Colonnade.

Date:   Monday March 9, 2020

Time:    1:00-2:00 pm

Program:

• Retiree Lifestyle Speaker- Deanna Pack, Alabama Senior Olympics
• Keynote Speaker- Steve Spencer, President, Economic Development Partnership of Alabama

Place:    SCS Offices at Colonnade, address 3535 Colonnade Parkway, Birmingham AL 35243

Room:   South Tower, Auditorium

Topic: “Economic Development in Alabama”

Steve Spencer, President of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, and retired executive VP of Alabama Power, will share what’s happening with recruitment efforts to bring new business to our state and increase job growth.

Steve is a lively and entertaining speaker and is sure to have great stories as well as the latest information! Retirees may recall Steve’s early role as Assistant To the Chairman, President and CEO Bill Dahlberg.  Steve also previously served in Southern Nuclear’s Governmental Affairs department.

Meeting Location Address is 3535 Colonnade Parkway, Birmingham AL  35243.  We meet in the South Tower, Auditorium.  This is located on the same floor as the South Tower security desk. The cafeteria is on the floor above the auditorium and will require escorting.  Please allow ample time to find parking and sign in at the South Tower.  The Alabama Power Company (APCO) Credit Union is on the first floor of the North Tower.

The Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) is a 25-year-old private, nonprofit organization funded by more than 60 Alabama companies. EDPA’s mission is to attract, retain, and grow jobs in Alabama.  EDPA provides support to The Alabama Department of Commerce and many other economic development organizations across the state in their efforts to recruit business to Alabama.

Keynote Speaker Steve Spencer joined EDPA as president after a 38-year career with Alabama Power Company, where he most recently served as executive vice president responsible for all operations including economic development that touch Alabama Power’s 1.4 million customers.  He is a graduate of Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, received his B.A. from Auburn University, completed the Executive Finance and Accounting program at Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Miles College.

Our Retiree Lifestyle speaker is Deanna Pack, State Coordinator for the Alabama Senior Olympics. She will give a brief overview and will be available before and after the meeting to talk individually. Participating athletes are men and women age 50 and up as of Dec. 31, competing in 20 different sports.  The Alabama Senior Olympics 2020 games will be held April – June at different venues and dates for each sport.

We were informed on Tuesday February 18, 2020 that John Noyes has passed away.

Arrangements for John Noyes are as follows:

Friday, February 21^st.

Viewing 9:00 am at Southern Heritage in Pelham, AL

Service at 10:00 am

Our next meeting will on Monday January 13, 2020 at the Southern Company Energy Center in Inverness from 1:00-2:00 pm.

Program:

• Retiree Lifestyle Speaker- Jeanne Wamack, Birmingham Duplicate Bridge Club
• Keynote Speaker- Nick Irvin, Director of Research and Development Strategy, Advanced Nuclear, and Crosscutting Technology at Southern Company

Topic: “Technology Development at Southern Company Research and Development”

Program Summary:

Would you like to be able to see into the future?  Come catch a glimpse of potential future technologies to be deployed as we hear about the latest projects at Southern Company Research and Development. Topics will include new nuclear, emissions control, electric vehicles, Smart Homes, and innovation.

Address is 3535 Colonnade Parkway, Birmingham AL 35243.  We meet in the South Tower, Auditorium.  This is located on the same floor as the South Tower security desk. The cafeteria is on the floor above the auditorium, and will require escorting.

Please allow ample time to find parking and sign in at the South Tower.  The Alabama Power Company (APCO) Credit Union is on the first floor of the North Tower.

We are delighted to have as Keynote Speaker Nick Irvin, Director of Research and Development Strategy, Advanced Nuclear, and Crosscutting Technology at Southern Company.  Nick began his career over 17 years ago as a startup engineer, progressing to Consulting Research Engineer, and Project Manager leading technology development for Advanced Energy Systems and environmental Emissions Control for coal fired plants before becoming Director over 2 years ago.   He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama, and a Master’s in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University.  Click here to see his bio.

Our Retiree Lifestyle Segment kicking off the meeting is Jeanne Wamack, a Life Master who has been teaching bridge for over 20 years in the Birmingham area with the Birmingham Duplicate Bridge Club.  Do you want to keep your mind sharp while enjoying a fun social game with interesting and intelligent people? Jeanne has the info you need to begin or improve your skills! See details of bridge classes for all levels, including 16-week classes (and also the upcoming “Learn Bridge In A Day with Patty Tucker” to be held twice, on Saturday January 25 and also Sunday January 26, from 10:00-4:00 each day), under the LEARN heading  at website  bhambridge.org.

Elmer B. Harris, 80, went to be with his heavenly father on December 23, 2019. His parents, Lera Mae Mitchell and Alton C. Harris, preceded him in death. The gravesite committal service will be at 1:15 p.m. on Fri., Dec. 27, 2019 at Alabama National Cemetery, Montevallo. Family and friends may also attend the memorial service at 2 p.m. on Fri., Jan. 3, 2020 at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Homewood, Alabama.

Elmer is survived by his wife of 57 years, Glenda Steele Harris; daughter, Lori Elmore (David); son, Tommy Harris (Suzanne); grandchildren, Carlyn Tyree (Brent), Harrison King, Sarah King, Connor King, Ashley Meinhardt (Daniel), Austin Harris, Houston Elmore, and Cade Elmore; one great-grandson, John Thomas Tyree; two brothers, Curtis Harris of Roswell, Georgia, and James R. Harris (Ethamae) of Denver, Colorado; and a special group of nieces and nephews; Glenda’s much loved family; and friends too numerous to count.

Elmer was born and lived his life in Clanton, Alabama, with a short time in Aliceville, Alabama. He attended elementary and high school in Clanton. His higher education continued at Auburn University, where he earned two degrees in Electrical Engineering and then a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Elmer has been a life-long Auburn supporter and Auburn sports fan. He served on the Auburn Foundation Board and the Alumni Board.

Through the years, he has received several Honorary Doctorate degrees from other universities. Elmer’s career at Southern Company spanned a total of 44 years. He began his career at Alabama Power as a co-op student and progressed through the ranks to Chairman and CEO from 1989-2002. From 1984-1989, he was employed at Georgia Power. There he was responsible for getting Vogel Nuclear Plant on line.

Elmer was a person of great vision. He took advantage of his position to accomplish many things that will benefit the people of Alabama for years to come. He formed the Alabama Power Company Foundation, which has become one of the largest charitable corporate foundations in the state. Always very interested in economic development, he was instrumental in the founding of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. One of the results of this venture was the coming of the Mercedes Automobile Company. Elmer and Alabama Power were intimately involved in this project which then resulted in other automobile projects and supporting companies.

At the beginning of his time as CEO, he saw a need for a child care center near Alabama Power in downtown Birmingham. He sent representatives all over the country and abroad to observe successful models, then joined with other corporations to build the center now named the Elmer and Glenda Harris Early Learning Center (HELC). Elmer encouraged Glenda in the formation of the Alabama Power Service Organization in 1990. It is still active with 10 chapters across the state.

For 25 of his 44 years at Southern Company, Elmer enjoyed a military career in the Air National Guard where he was able to achieve his life-long dream to fly jet aircraft. He trained to fly several of these jets at Webb Air Force Base and then completed his career at Dannally Air Base in Montgomery, Alabama on weekends. His last assignment was with the State organization of the Air Guard. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Another assignment Elmer enjoyed was serving as the Honorary Consul General to Japan from the State of Alabama. During those years, he made many trips to Japan. On one occasion, he chaired the Japan-Southeast U.S.’s annual meeting in Mobile, Alabama. After he retired as Consul General, he was given a prestigious award by the Emperor of Japan: The Order of the Rising Sun with Gold Rays.

Elmer has always been an active member of his church, often serving as a deacon. He and Glenda are long-time members of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church and the Agape Life Group. Serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of Samford University, Birmingham has been a great blessing for Elmer. He became a life-time trustee. It was exciting to him to be able to help provide a president’s home on the mountain that has hosted the City of Birmingham as well as Samford. Elmer has enjoyed life on the lake since his retirement in 2002.

He has had time to watch his precious grandchildren grow up having fun with their friends on the water. Rotary Club has been an important part of Elmer’s life since he became a member of the Downtown Rotary Club of Birmingham. For the past few years, he has helped with the revitalization of the Pell City Rotary Club with its new location, many new members, and a growing foundation.

Elmer has remained active on some boards through retirement, such as the Meyer Foundation and the Maxwell-Gunter Foundation Board. Because of his love of people, he has maintained contact with old friends and new ones, always current with his hometown. As a young man, he and his brothers were disc jockeys at the local radio station WKLF in Clanton. He recently took part in the station’s 70-year celebration.

The family of Elmer Harris requests that, in lieu of flowers, gifts be made to . He would be pleased with gifts sent to Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Homewood to support their many forms of outreach locally and worldwide.