Southern Electric Corporation has named Jeff Bailey, of Quitman, Texas, as its Power Player for the month of October. A Power Player is someone with integrity and high moral standards, possessing strong leadership qualities, a track record of safe production, and dedication to our company and industry, who is hard-working and represents SEC well in everything that they do, allowing SEC to Power Forward.
Bailey, a general foreman in Arkansas and Louisiana, has been with SEC for 10 years and has served the industry for 33. He got his start with Wood County Electric Cooperative in 1991 and remained working on the cooperative and investor owned utility side of the industry until joining SEC in 2014. “I was drawn to the small family-like workplace that SEC provided, and I also saw the opportunity to grow in different areas of the industry, such as safety and training,” says Bailey.
After a seemingly harmless fall in a parking lot just over a year ago, Bailey developed an infection that led to the amputation of his right leg just above the knee. He spent a month in the hospital followed by 5 months of therapy learning to use his prosthetic leg and knee. “It certainly is a never-ending journey and learning curve, but it gets easier every day,” says Bailey. “I’m grateful for the support and understanding that I receive from the people that I work with. The support of my amazing team is the reason I’m able to be in the field working today,” he adds. “I want to thank them for that.”
“Jeff has overcome a huge obstacle and is a good example of what can be accomplished with a positive attitude,” says Michael Cullum, Superintendent for SEC’s Arkansas operations. “He’s just an all-around great guy and is committed to SEC and his men.”
Bailey says the best part of his job is his team. “The guys that I work for, my crews, are the hardest-working and most knowledgeable group I’ve ever been a part of,” Bailey says. “They make my job easy.” He says the hardest part is the traveling and re-learning the things that he took for granted before his accident.
Bailey and his wife Jennifer have been married 26 years and enjoy spending time with their children and granddaughters. In his free time, Bailey likes to work on cars and motorcycles and plays and sings in a band, Mescalero Cowboys, and has opened for and played with some well-known artists including Joe Nichols, Tony Alvarez and Koe Wetzel.
