Catching Up with Bill Dahlberg
Keeping Current
Catching Up with Bill Dahlberg
One night after a shift at the Sears and Roebuck mail order department, 19-year-old Bill Dahlberg was introduced to the Georgia Power Company by Lynn Sutton, a friend of his parents, who took note of the hardworking young man and said there might be a job for him in the company’s meter department. He interviewed and got his first job at Georgia Power – washing meter covers.
Bill spent half a decade in the meter department. It was the beginning of a journey that would take all around the company, from meters, to appliances, to finance, marketing, and strategy, ultimately leading to Bill Dahlberg being named the 10th President and CEO of the Georgia Power Company in 1988.
In his time at the helm, Georgia Power put two nuclear units into service (Vogtle Units 1 & 2), weathered a 22-month federal investigation which returned no charges or penalties, and established the new “Southern Style,” a set of guidelines for the company which are still used today, and which helped the company regain its reputation as “A Citizen Wherever We Serve.” At the direction of Bill Dahlberg, Georgia Power was also a critical player in Atlanta’s winning bid for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, becoming the first “Official Power Source of the Olympics,” and writing the energy playbook for future Games.
Mr. Dahlberg was named President and CEO of Southern Company in 1995, a position he held until 2001.
We caught up with Bill Dahlberg at his home in Stone Mountain. The following excerpts from our conversation have been edited for space.
What are you up to now?
I miss working some. It took a while to get used to it and I never found a total replacement for it, but I’ve learned to master retirement. I try to play golf twice a week—though the golf’s gotten much worse—and we’ve done a lot of traveling over the years: Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, all on golf trips. I also spend a lot of time with family. Our three kids are in metro Atlanta, and we have seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild now. I stay involved with a few charities I care deeply about, like Bearings Bike Works and Children International. We built a community center in the Dominican Republic that serves 3,000 kids with medical care, a library, and a computer lab. I stay away from board meetings now, but I still like to support the work.”
What was your proudest moment at our company?
One early moment I was really proud of was when I got hired as the ‘repo man’ in East District. We sold appliances and we did appliance repair in those days. And those bills went to customers separately from their power bill. And my job was to collect delinquent accounts. And if something happened and they couldn't pay, then we repossessed the appliance.
Well, when I got to East District, my boss told me we were ranked 17th in the company for collections, and my job was to get us to number one—and I did.
Another one would be when I resigned my first vice presidency to take a general manager role in planning. Everyone thought I was crazy, but I believed in the job and the long-term vision.
And of course, being named President and CEO of Georgia Power—that was like being named head coach of the team you used to play for. That meant a lot to me and still does.
What did you enjoy the most about your time at Georgia Power?
I loved speaking to groups of employees. One of my proudest moments was speaking at the Fox Theatre to remind people that even when we were under investigation, we were still good citizens—still proud of who we were. Seeing people nod along meant the world to me.
I also liked working through problems, thinking through solutions on my own, and finding new ways of looking at things.
I really enjoyed the people—there were so many who helped me, taught me, and inspired me along the way.
Can you share your secret to success at Georgia Power?
I always believed in doing the best job you can at whatever you’re doing. Never focus on the next job. Be the best at the job you’ve got, and people will notice. I also think it’s important to challenge yourself. If you find yourself doing something the same way over and over, that’s probably dangerous. Look for a better way. Think about what’s next. And don’t believe you’re somebody you’re not—stay grounded.
