Connected: The AEP Employee Podcast

AEP's work relies heavily on materials, and any issue getting supplies has the potential to impact customers. As the supply chain crisis continues, the company is making changes to work within new constraints. On this episode, we talk with AEP's chief procurement officer about what parts of the business are being most impacted by the crisis. Plus, we find out why the head of supply chain at every electric utility company is concerned about transformers.

You've heard of marathons, but have you heard of ultra-marathons? These races can be double or even triple the length of a normal marathon. On this episode, one employee shares why he decided to start running again after a more than 5-year hiatus from the sport and what it takes to run for six, seven and even 24 hours. 

During an outage, imagine being able to get some customers back online in a matter of seconds. That situation is becoming a reality as more of AEP's circuits get equipment with a technology called Distribution Automation Circuit Reconfiguration. On this episode, we look at how this technology is fundamentally changing the way we deliver power and the impacts its having on customers and employees. 

If you talk to people in the auto industry, they'll tell you the future isn't gas, it's electric. Last year, the sale of electrical vehicles increased, while the sale of gas-powered cars was stagnant. It's leading many to wonder what's driving this change. On this episode, we talk with an expert about trends in the electric vehicle industry and how to decide if going electric is a smart choice for your next ride. Plus, we get behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S to see if ones of the most talked about electric vehicles on the market lives up to the hype. 

How we work in the United States is drastically changing and doing things like we've done in the past isn't going to get the same results. So, if there's no longer a formula for success in the business world - how do you put yourself in the right place to get opportunities? In this episode, we talk with Peggy Simmons, one of AEP's young leaders, about navigating these challenges and why she wants people to know that failure is an option.

At AEP, telling someone you liked their Good Catch means something different than it does in sports. Good catches are a safety tool that help us share what we've learned while performing all types of tasks. In this episode, we talk with a safety expert about what makes the Good Catch program great for safety. Plus, we break down how three good catches from last year can help employees work safer right now. 

How are you doing? It's a simple question that can have a big impact. One in four adults will experience a mental health challenge at some point in their life. Yet, a lot of people would rather sit through a day of meetings than talk about those challenges at work. In this episode, we talk with one employee about how she changed her views on talking about mental health at the office. Plus, advice from an expert on how to decide if you should share your mental health story with your coworkers. 

What was something good that happened in your life this year? The end of the year is a common time to reflect on our lives but sometimes thinking about what we're grateful for is easier said than done. In this episode, how to stop and take a moment to look at the good in our lives. We talk with Rhonda Swickert, a professor at the College of Charleston and an expert on positive psychology, about why gratitude can be the best medicine in tough times, and we hear from our employees about what they're grateful for this year. 

Call it helping out, paying it forward or being involved. No matter how you say it, AEP employees like to volunteer. While many people think of the holiday season as the main time to give back – for some employees, giving back is a year-round effort. In this episode, we talk with two of AEP's most involved employees about what drives them to volunteer and make a difference in their communities. 

The customer is king, especially for AEP's Energy Supply organization. It's the competitive side of AEP's business and it's an epicenter for change. In this episode, we talk with Greg Hall, executive vice president, Energy Supply, about the organization's grown and what the regulated side of the business can learn from Energy Supply's move toward renewables. 

Did you know there's a place at AEP where employees break things and set fires on purpose? It's all done for the good of the company in a safe, controlled environment at the Dolan Technology Center. In this episode, we go behind the scenes at the Dolan to explore how their work keeps employees safe and helps the company make better business decisions.

Everyone knew Kevin Sides had a problem with drugs and alcohol, but he didn't think his actions were hurting anyone but himself. After Kevin's wife died, his addiction became all consuming until his actions caught up with him on Halloween night. In this episode, Kevin talks his journey to sobriety and finally finding peace. 

Woody Williams is one of AEP's most unique customers. He's the last surviving medal of honor recipient from World War Two and, at 98, he's still working full time. He spends hundreds of days a year traveling the country to help gold star families. These are families who have been impacted by losing someone in military service. In this episode, Woody shares how the bombing of Pearl Harbor changed his life and why he's devoting his golden years to gold star families. 

Louie the Lightning Bug has been a fixture on tv since the mid-80s. Even though he's been around for more than 35 years, he popularity with audiences hasn't dimmed. In this episode, we learn how Louie the Lightning Bug was born and why he's still effective at teaching kids and adults about electrical safety. 

The last episode of our 2021 season is going to focus on you – our listeners. Even though 2021 has been rough, there were still bright spots and we want to hear about yours.If there's something you'd like to share, please leave us a voice mail at 614-716-3835. Make sure to include your full name, where you work and try to keep the message under a minute.  We'll try to use as many messages as we can. 

College football is a game of traditions and few people know that better than Ike Liles. In this episode, we talk with Ike about how he became the embodiment of one of college football's biggest traditions – The Texas A&M 12th Man.

AEP is a for-profit company but each year we give away millions of dollars to make our communities better. In this episode, we're talking with Janelle Coleman, president of the AEP Foundation, about how the Foundation works and why the national conversation on equality is impacting our decisions about who we give money to. 

Multiple factors have been causing the demise of coal as the fuel of choice for AEP and other utilities. In this episode, we're talking with Paul Chodak, executive vice president, Generation, Toby Thomas, senior vice president, Energy Delivery, and Darcy Reese, vice president, Investor Relations about the factors that are moving AEP away from coal. 

AEP has a team of employees who play a major part in AEP's storm restoration, even though you don't see them out in the field restoring service. In this episode, we're talking with the head of AEP's Meteorology team. She explains why the company doesn't worry about all types of storms and what we're expecting during this hurricane season. 

As the Executive Vice President of Generation at AEP, Mark McCullough made decisions that changed the company's coal-fired generation business. Now, after 40 years with AEP, Mark is retiring from the only place he's ever worked. In this episode, Mark (now the Executive Vice President of Energy Delivery) talks about the lessons he's learned and why the most meaningful moments of his career were often the most difficult. 

Sometimes, you have to call in reinforcements in the battle to stay healthy. The Running Strong started as a way for Native Americans to improve their fitness, then it turned it something unexpected. In this episode, we learn how a program meant for kids has turned into a community of support and strength in Tulsa. 

For most of her life, Annette Tierney had a secret that weighed her down. She knew that sharing this secret could come with heavy consequences. In this episode, we talk with Annette about why she decided to open up to her coworkers after four decades and live as her true self. 

David Whitman was the kind of person who was always on the move and couldn't be held down. Then he experienced a life changing injury on the job that showed him he wasn't Superman anymore. He was mortal. In this episode, we talk with David about how he almost lost his life while working in the heat and how the event has changed his health. 

In 1921, one of the worst outbreaks of racial violence happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For decades, the city kept quiet about what happened. Now, what happened during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre is on display at the Greenwood Rising Black Wall Street History center. In this episode, we talk about what happened in Tulsa a hundred years ago is still relevant today.

Lisa Barton, AEP's Chief Operating Officer, discusses how her new organization is going to help the company succeed as the electric utility industry undergoes a fundamental shift. 

Cyber security and high profile hackings are a hot topic, both inside and outside the utility industry. In this episode, we sit down with Steve Swick, a leading national expert on cyber security in the utility industry and AEP's Vice President of Security. He discusses why AEP has a large stake in the security of the country and what keeps him up at night. 

Nick Akins is the chairman, president and chief executive officer of American Electric Power. In the first episode of the AEP Employee Podcast, we talk with Nick about his experience leading a Fortune 500 company during an unprecedented time, his thoughts on the future of the company and what would surprise people about his staff meetings. 

Henry Brown hasn't had the smoothest experience during his 45 years with SWEPCO. As a black man, he's often been the only one in the room throughout his career. In this episode, Henry talks about situations he faced early in his career, how the company has changed since he joined in 1975 and the opportunities in front of us to make AEP a better place for everyone.

Michele Ross has been with AEP for more than 25 years. When she was a young apprentice in our network operations, she witnessed her mentor get hit by an arc flash in an underground vault. In this episode, Michele recounts what happened and discusses how the event continues to impact how she works.