Meet Our Team
- Seth Hammett – Vice President of Business Development
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Seth Hammett
Vice President of Business DevelopmentSeth 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.
- Lee Lawson – Economic Development Representative, Alabama
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Lee Lawson.
Economic Development Representative, AlabamaClick here to send an e-mail.
Phone: (334) 264-8199Lee Lawson serves as Economic Development Representative for PowerSouth Energy, where he directs international and domestic industry recruitment, project management and strategic marketing for PowerSouth’s Alabama service territory. Lawson assists prospective companies and site selection consultants, and works with local development allies to locate projects in Alabama. He also works with existing industries through PowerSouth’s business retention and expansion program. Lawson joined PowerSouth’s Economic Development Department in 2008.
Prior to joining PowerSouth, Lawson served as Director of Economic Development for the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance. In that position, Lawson was responsible for national and international marketing, new business recruitment and project management.
Lawson earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Troy State University. He is currently pursuing his designation as a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) at the University of Oklahoma.
- Taylor Williams – Economic & Community Development Representative, Alabama
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Taylor Williams
Economic Development Representative, AlabamaClick here to send an e-mail.
Phone: (334) 241-7372Taylor 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, Economic Development Representative, Florida
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Ed Gardner, Jr.
Economic Development Representative, FloridaClick here to send an e-mail.
(850) 269-7190Ed 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).
