Alabama Power’s Katelyn Cutshall is among emerging leaders recognized in the Birmingham Business Journal’s NextGen: Education & Workforce awards. The series highlights future leaders in key industries in Birmingham.

Cutshall is a Community Development analyst for the Economic and Community Development team, where she focuses on programs and initiatives to create a stronger workforce pipeline and ensure communities have the assets needed to compete for business and industry.

“Katelyn is a tremendous asset to Alabama Power and our state as a whole through her work in economic, community and workforce development,” said Leigh Davis, Alabama Power vice president of Economic and Community Development. “Each day she exhibits our company commitment to improve the lives and opportunities for the people of Alabama. This is a well-deserved recognition and we look forward to seeing all Katelyn will accomplish throughout her career.”

Most recently, Cutshall led the creation of the JumpStartAL initiative, a public-private partnership to train the next generation of skilled labor using innovative solutions. For the effort, Cutshall mobilized resources and a team of workforce-development experts to help align training curriculum with business and industry needs. Since its inception this year, JumpStartAL has connected more than 150 people to jobs that pursue career goals.

JumpStartAL is a free program currently in 16 locations across Alabama, including community colleges. Enterprise City Schools is offering the training to students interested in careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), with students in third grade through high school using the program.

More than 23 companies and government entities make up the JumpStartAL program partners, including the Alabama Community College System, Alabama Works, Altec, Business Council of Alabama, Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT), the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development and the Business Education Alliance of Alabama (BEA).

Cutshall also identifies and develops new property for industrial recruitment. A primary focus of site strategy is to revamp the state’s speculative building program, created in 1991 to advance the construction of quality available buildings within a community.

The program has added 29 projects creating more than 1,300 jobs. With an ever-evolving economic development landscape, agile programs that align with the needs of company prospects and communities are imperative, experts said.

Cutshall graduated from the University of Alabama in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Economics and minor in Mathematics. She joined Alabama Power in 2016 as an intern on the Economic Development team, starting full time with the company after obtaining her degree.