Alabama Power’s Freddy Padilla honored with Soul of the South award

Freddy Padilla, Federal Affairs manager at Alabama Power, was recently honored with a 2023 Soul of the South Award from SoulGrown, a digital publication that “highlights the culture, beauty and people making Alabama – the Soul of the South – proud.” Padilla was nominated by Tim Gothard, executive director of the Alabama Wildlife Federation.

Padilla was recently interviewed by SoulGrown about his work, involvement in the community and ideas for making Alabama better.

Padilla’s primary responsibilities at Alabama Power are the company’s federal governmental relations efforts in Washington and throughout the state. He began his career in the company’s Western Division, headquartered in Tuscaloosa, where he was responsible for relationships with elected officials, civic organizations and local media, while supporting business office managers in communities throughout West Alabama.

While with the company’s Public Relations department, he supported a variety of departments including Economic Development, Generation, Marketing, Customer Service, Corporate Real Estate, Power Delivery and Environmental Affairs. He also was a company spokesperson on the media relations team. He has served in areas of increasing responsibility on the company’s Governmental & Corporate Affairs team.

A native of Demopolis and avid outdoorsman, Padilla attended the University of West Alabama and the University of Alabama, where he received a B.A. in Public Relations. Padilla serves on the board of directors for Alabama Black Belt Adventures and is an active member of the Alabama Wildlife Federation. In addition, he serves on the board of directors of the ZeroZero Foundation and The Alabama Business Coalition in Washington. He is a past United Way of Central Alabama loaned executive and chaired Alabama Power’s United Way campaign.

SoulGrown: What was your “aha” moment/When did you decide that this was the industry for you?

In my role at Alabama Power, I work every day toward our mission of making our state the best it can be. The people make our company, and I realized very early on that I wanted to be part of it. We cover a lot of ground, but our commitment to conservation and stewardship helps support our beautiful natural resources and promote ecotourism.

How did your upbringing/time spent in Alabama shape your career?

If you don’t know me, you know where I am from within 5 minutes of talking with me. That is not by design, it’s just who I am. I am very thankful for where my career has taken me. It has only helped my passion to support my home and the Black Belt region. I look up to my parents and had a front-row seat to two of the hardest-working people I know. You would never know if my dad is having a bad day. He treats everyone the same, no matter who you are. I try to live up to his example in everything I do.

What keeps you moving forward in the industry? Do you have a quote or motto that you find resonates?

I want future generations to enjoy the outdoors, have access to a quality education and health care, and work/raise their families here. It seems simple, but we must evolve and be open to new ideas to leave our state even better than we found it.

Mr. Tim Gothard is a good friend, role model and mentor. His attention to detail and ability to bring people together from all walks of life is special. His organization’s impact is felt throughout our state each day.

What would you consider your greatest professional accomplishment?

As far as my career, I try to be the best I can be where I am. In my current role as Federal Affairs manager, I get to work with our congressional delegation and colleagues to move our state forward. I am proud to represent our state and Alabama Power in Washington, D.C. and at home. I enjoy the collaboration my job allows me to foster through partnerships. The successful projects where everyone sits at the table, from the business community to government agencies to nonprofits, are the most rewarding.

What would you like to see more of in Alabama as it pertains to your industry?

I have already mentioned this, but collaboration. Our world is changing, and we need diverse voices at the table. We must meet potential partners where they are and listen to what they have to say.

It doesn’t matter the magnitude or the focus of a project. This will allow us to lean into innovation and move our state forward.

A version of this story originally appeared on the SoulGrown website.