“Hey!”
The happy shout came from one of the 30 or so members of two third grade classes crowded into a small classroom with their teachers and two invited guests. They were assembled as part of an ongoing storm awareness exercise at Childersburg’s A.H. Watwood Elementary School.
“That’s my football coach!” the student completed his exclamation. The visitor he was so pleased to see was Marquis Marbury, a lineman for Alabama Power out of the company’s office in the nearby Talladega County town of Oak Grove.
Before talking about Alabama Power’s role in storm response and the importance of being prepared, Marbury acknowledged his youth sports connection with several of the students or his long acquaintance with some of their parents or other relatives. The interest of most of the others was piqued by another piece of information he shared.
“I grew up right here in Childersburg,” Marbury told the group. “I went to this very same school that you’re in now. I was in second grade in this classroom.”
Alabama Power market specialist Frank Browne (l) and lineman Marquis Marbury reviewed safety measures in storm response. (Mark Kelly)
Over the next hour — the first 20 minutes in the classroom, the rest in the sunny springtime weather outdoors, gathered in a shifting semicircle around Marbury, Alabama Power market specialist Frank Browne, and Marbury’s bucket truck — the 19-year company veteran talked about staying safe on the job, including when dealing with storm damage or other weather-related hazards. Outside, he and Browne displayed some of the array of tools, equipment and protective gear available on the truck at all times.
“Be prepared for the worst thing that can happen,” advised Marbury. “Always practice safety first by having a plan at home for you and your family.”
Marbury talked — and answered a steady stream of questions — about a range of topics. The students heard about how Alabama Power plans for and responds to bad weather, the hazards linemen encounter, the dangers of downed power lines to the public (and what to do if you see one), and what the power company does with old power lines when they are replaced (answer: they are recycled into new power lines). On each subject, Marbury led the conversation back to the key message: Safety first.
Concluding his presentation, Marbury referred again to his roots in Childersburg, stressing the importance of community — especially in times of natural disaster or other emergencies. He urged the students to be engaged in activities that contribute to the life of the place they live.
“Get involved in something,” said Marbury. “Don’t just sit around and not do anything. Do something to make your community better.”
Inviting Marbury and Browne to engage with students is part of a schoolwide initiative in Project Based Learning (PBL), Watwood Elementary teacher Kelly Clayton explained. The year-long program is part of the school’s science and social studies curriculum, engaging every student in a grade-level group project designed to encourage critical thinking about complex, real-world challenges, including effective ways of responding to them.
Watwood Elementary teacher Kelly Clayton spoke to her students about the presentation by Alabama Power lineman Marquis Marbury. (Mark Kelly)
Watwood Elementary’s PBL program for the 2024-25 school year concludes on Wednesday, May 7, with a schoolwide showcase highlighting what has been learned about how communities prepare for and respond to natural disasters. In addition to Alabama Power, Clayton said, students looked at the roles of emergency management agencies, public safety departments, the Red Cross and other relief organizations, meteorologists, and others — including how they coordinate and interact with each other and the public.
“Students are learning what’s involved in preparing for and responding to natural disasters,” said Clayton. “That is critical knowledge, and Alabama Power is a great partner in helping us communicate it in meaningful ways. They’re giving our students the opportunity to hear directly about the jobs people do and the roles they play in keeping families and communities safe.”
With their presentation concluded and the children filing back inside, Marbury and Browne talked about the engagement of Alabama Power and its employees in Childersburg and other communities across the state. Browne began his career in the Southern Company system in 2006 and has been with Alabama Power since 2014, working in Power Delivery and engineering before moving into his current marketing role. The value the company provides, Browne pointed out, goes beyond providing safe and reliable electric service.
“It’s about the communities we serve,” said Browne. “How can we best reach people of all ages with products and services that enhance their lives in some way? That’s why we’re here today, supporting this school, providing firsthand information to these teachers and students. That’s what we mean when we talk about bringing value as a company.
“Marquis just exemplifies that,” added Browne. “He’s in a job that serves the community, and he’s engaged professionally and personally in activities that make his community stronger. The way he interacts with these kids, the connections he makes — plus the fact that he went to school here at their age and that he now coaches some of them in football — is like creating ripples in a pond. The energy builds up.”
Marbury agreed with Browne about the impacts individuals and companies can have on a community and the lives of the people in it. From a personal perspective, he called being back at his old elementary school “very cool,” a special moment in his ongoing community service. From the perspective of Alabama Power, engagement in the communities it serves is part of the company’s mission.
“We’re way bigger than just your power bill,” declared Marbury. “As individuals and as a company, finding ways to contribute to the betterment of communities is something we do every day.
“It’s part of the job.”
