Meet Our Team

Seth Hammett
Vice President of Business Development

Seth Hammett serves as PowerSouth’s Vice President of Business Development. He oversees the operations of PowerSouth’s member services department, which includes rate development, key accounts management and member education on issues including energy use efficiency, power quality and demand-side management. Hammett also leads PowerSouth’s economic development team, targeting business sectors and industry clusters to recruit businesses to our service territory both nationally and internationally, while working with key personnel to retain existing industry. Hammett served in the Alabama House of Representatives for thirty two years, while serving as Speaker of the House from 1998 - 2010. He retired from the House of Representatives in 2010. Hammett has an undergraduate degree and a Masters of Business Administration from Auburn University, as well as Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Troy University and the University of West Alabama.

Taylor Williams
Economic Development Representative, Alabama

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Phone: (334) 241-7372

Taylor Williams serves as Economic and Community Development Representative at PowerSouth Energy, where he directs economic and community development initiatives throughout PowerSouth’s service territory. Williams works with marketing allies and development organizations to recruit prospective companies and new industry to Alabama. He also works with existing industries through PowerSouth’s business retention and expansion program.

Prior to joining PowerSouth Energy, Williams was the Project Manager of Corporate Development for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. In this position, Williams directed the Chamber’s existing industry and trade programs, and assisted with economic development recruitment and marketing efforts. During his tenure with the Chamber, he implemented and directed Manufacture Your Future, a one-year high school manufacturing program.

Williams is a 2007 graduate of The University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and General Business. He also completed the Basic Economic Development Course at the Georgia Institute of Technology and is attending the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma.

Ed Gardner, Jr.
Economic Development Representative, Florida

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(850) 269-7190

Ed Gardner joined PowerSouth Energy Cooperative in June 2010 as the economic development representative for Northwest Florida. PowerSouth, a generation and transmission cooperative, provides the wholesale power needs of 20 distribution members, 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems, in Alabama and Northwest Florida. Ed serves as PowerSouth's liaison to their Florida members: Chelco, Escambia River, Gulf Coast and West Florida. His responsibilities include working with local, regional and state economic development organizations in support of business attraction, expansion, retention and economic growth for the region. He assists the member systems in planning, developing and implementing special projects and community/economic development programs. In addition, Ed serves on the Executive Committee of Florida's Great Northwest.

Prior to joining PowerSouth, Ed worked as Vice President of Economic Development and Workforce at the Birmingham Business Alliance in Birmingham, Alabama. In this position, he was responsible for recruitment, workforce development and leading a strategic planning process for the seven-county Birmingham, Alabama metro area.

Ed has more than 13 years of local economic development experience, first with the City of Auburn, and most recently as the Executive Director of the St. Clair County Economic Development Council in Pell City, Alabama.

Ed received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and studied in Ireland at University College Galway. From there he went on to earn a master’s degree from Auburn University in Public Administration. Ed is also a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP).

Bryan D. Parker
Economic Development Representative

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Phone: (334) 241-4440

Bryan Parker serves as Economic Development Representative at PowerSouth Energy, where he directs economic and community development initiatives throughout PowerSouth’s service territory. Parker works with marketing allies and development organizations to recruit prospective companies and new industry to Alabama. He also works with existing industries through PowerSouth’s business retention and expansion program.

Prior to joining PowerSouth Energy, Parker served as a Field Representative for United States Representative, Jo Bonner. In this position, Parker worked with community and state leaders on local projects and acted as a liaison with federal agencies.  During his tenure with Representative Bonner, the 2010 oil spill occurred, in which he took a lead position in working on municipalities and individuals behalf with BP, the federal government and the Gulf Coast Claims Facility.  While living in Baldwin County, Bryan was active in several organizations including Leadership Baldwin County, Baldwin County United, United Way Young Leaders Society, and the Eastern Shore Chamber Young Professionals.

Parker is a native of Greenville, Al and 2005 graduate of Auburn Montgomery with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. He is currently working on his masters degree from Southern Mississippi University in Economic and Workforce Development.

Caleb Goodwyn
Economic and Community Development Representative

Caleb Goodwyn serves as the Economic and Community Development Representative for PowerSouth Energy, where he directs economic and community development initiatives throughout PowerSouth’s service territory. Goodwyn works with marketing allies and development organizations to recruit prospective companies and new industry to Alabama. He also works with existing industries through PowerSouth’s business retention and expansion program.

Prior to joining PowerSouth Energy, Goodwyn served as the District Director to Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-06). While serving in this position, he acted as the District liaison to Washington, DC and had the opportunity to build strong relationships with constituents, business leaders, interest groups, and elected officials throughout the 6th Congressional District, as well as the State. This position allowed Goodwyn to maintain an active and responsive relationship between the Congressman and his constituents by playing an active role in community development initiatives and facilitating discussion among federal agencies and the various local stakeholders.

While living in Birmingham, Goodwyn was active in several organizations including Leadership Shelby County, the Alabama Leadership Initiative, the FBI Citizens Academy, Children’s of Alabama Committee for the Future, the Birmingham Business Alliance Governmental Affairs Committee and numerous chambers of commerce.

Goodwyn was born in Jasper, AL and attended Walker High School before transferring to St. Andrew’s Sewanee School in Sewanee, TN. He is a 2005 graduate of Sewanee: The University of the South where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a focus on American Politics, Southern State Politics and American Political Theory. He is also a 2007 graduate from the University of Alabama where he received a Masters Degree in Public Administration. Caleb and his wife Elizabeth live in Montgomery, AL.