Southern Company believes that all organizations and firms should have an equal opportunity to grow their business. Glenda Thomas, supplier diversity consultant at Southern Nuclear – Southern Company’s nuclear plant operating company – works hard to develop and maintain relationships with Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) to help ensure the best and widest possible supplier base is included in purchasing decisions. In addition, through Glenda’s mentoring and training of MWBE companies, both formally and informally, she has helped these firms grow and develop their professional services.

Southern Company has a targeted and managed second tier program that has resulted in greater prime supplier participation in supplier diversity. The by-product of this approach has stimulated prime suppliers without supplier diversity programs to initiate staff and fund appropriate programs. In fact, due to the different supplier diversity programs that Southern Company offers, the overall MWBE spend in 2010 was approximately 13.7 percent, a spend of more $450 million.

Glenda’s top responsibilities include developing and managing the annual spend analysis; recruiting and mentoring diverse suppliers; developing and sustaining supplier relationships, and managing supplier performance to ensure contract compliance. Glenda was awarded the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Vendor Opportunity Award in 2009, and currently serves on the Executive Task Force.

Favorite Quote :“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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