Alabama Power’s Sherri Radney is an Unsung Hero with a heart for helping others
Sherri Radney spends much of her free time inspiring others to love math and science as much as she does. (contributed)
Alabama Power Resource Planning Project Manager Sherri Radney’s father knew she would go into a field like engineering because, as a kid, she would always take things apart and put them back together around the house.
“After watching a movie about the Tuskegee Airmen, I became fascinated with them and wanted to become a fighter pilot,” said Radney. “I really didn’t know what field I wanted to study but I knew most pilots studied in the field of math and science.”
Sherri Radney is an Unsung Hero at Alabama Power from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
Growing up in Columbus, Georgia, she was surrounded by heroes. With a talent for math and science, her mother encouraged Radney to take part in math camps. During her junior year in high school, Sherri’s physics teacher recognized Radney’s math and science skills and suggested engineering as a career. Her father retired from Southern Company with a background in electronics, and was another influence in his daughter’s decision to pursue the computer and electrical engineering fields.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, she began working at Southern Company in 2004. Radney held several positions at Georgia Power and at Southern Power, where she managed power-purchase agreements for thermal and renewable projects in Georgia, North Carolina and Maine.
In 2017, Radney joined Alabama Power’s Resource Planning department, where she heads requests for proposals (RFPs), asset acquisitions, contract negotiations and performs cost analyses on thermal and renewable projects.
Radney led the team that evaluated generation operations that would ultimately help to meet customers’ future energy needs as part of the 2018 capacity RFP. Her tasks involved working with other departments to draft and develop business specifications and technical requirements for the RFP. She evaluated and analyzed financial and technical data to determine which proposal was the most reliable and affordable.
“Sherri is an unsung hero because of the responsibility she undertook and what she embarked upon when the company proceeded forward with the first-ever acquisition of a previously owned power plant,” said Resource Manager Chris Habig. “She is a trailblazer, a pioneer in terms of navigating unchartered territory.”
Radney led the acquisition team that completed the purchase of the Central Alabama Generating Station in Autauga County. She worked with team members from across the company and Southern Company Services in project areas including environmental, accounting, finance, treasury, commercial operations, plant operations, human resources, regulatory, technology, corporate real estate, risk management and legal.
It marked the first time in Alabama Power’s 114-year history that the company purchased a natural gas generating facility from a third party.
In her free time, Radney enjoys volunteering in the community, working at her church, bowling, traveling, and arts and crafts.
“She is an empathetic and giving individual,” said Habig. “She is always willing to work hard, always goes the extra mile. It’s clearly not just at Alabama Power; it’s a thread that works through the rest of her life in her service work outside the company.”
