Gulf Power pres. receives high honor

GULF POWER COMPANY NEWS (WALA) - Gulf Power President and CEO Susan Story, an Auburn graduate and native Alabamian, is being inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors individuals with outstanding accomplishments in the field of Engineering who have significantly contributed to the betterment of their communities.

"Science, technology, engineering and math are so important for future generations," Story said. "And this award helps put the spotlight on this curriculum that needs emphasis now more than ever."

Story joined Southern Company in 1982 as a nuclear engineer. In 2003, when she was named president and CEO at Gulf Power Company, she became the first woman and the youngest ever CEO at a Southern Company operating subsidiary. The following year, Hurricane Ivan left 90 percent of Gulf Power's customers without electricity. Less than two weeks later, under Story's leadership, power was restored to every home capable of receiving electricity.

Story received her bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University and a master's degree in business administration from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also participated in executive education programs at Duke University and Oxford University.

Outside of her career, Story devotes her time to education, particularly focusing on science, technology, engineering and math education for students. Gulf Power is a major supporter of the West Florida High School of Advanced Technology where a Gulf Power Academy has been established. And her company initiated the BEST Robotics competition held each year at the University of West Florida along with supporting the I LOVE SCIENCE program at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.