Joe Haynes began working for Appalachian Power Co. 41 years ago. He retires, May 28, and plans on spending more time with his family and staying involved in the community. Photo by Carolyn Harmon

'Face of the John Amos Plant' set to retire

The Putnam Standard
May 18, 2010

BY Carolyn Hamond

WINFIELD - Joe Haynes has an eye on his old wooden desk.

It was sitting on the roadside with a sign "FREE" attached.

It will fit nicely in his basement office, which he will use when he retires from American Electric Power's John E. Amos Plant, May 28.

Haynes has been the Community Relations Manager, at Amos, for 22 years.

But his career did not begin there.

Haynes started working for Appalachian Power Co. 41 years ago.

As a U.S. Navy veteran, he became a lineman, in Huntington. He worked that job for 10 years, while attending night school at West Virginia State University. He graduated, in 1978, with a bachelor's degree in Psychology.

In 1980, Haynes was offered a position of job planner for the line crew, which he worked for about one year.

After that, he took a position, in the Huntington office, as assistant to the division manager, which he worked for eight years.

One of the job's duties introduced him to public affairs. Then in 1988, the Amos job became available.

"I really enjoyed the job and Huntington, it was a nice town to live in, but Putnam County has always been my home," Haynes said." When this job came open, at Amos, I jumped at it."

While different aspects of each job have appealed to Haynes, what he has enjoyed the most is interacting with people.

Haynes' position put him out front, where he has kind of been the face of the power company, he said.

Jeri Matheney, Director of Corporate Communications for Appalachian Power agrees.

"Joe is the face of the John Amos plant for so many people and he is such a good representative for us," she said. "He is so dedicated to the company, so enthusiastic about what he does and his is incredibly knowledgeable."

Reaching out to the community is one of Haynes' many roles at Amos.

Some of that outreach includes giving tours of the Wetlands of Winfield, coordinating charity golf tournaments and coordinating the six school partnerships AEP has with area schools.

"One of the highest praises I ever received was from a former superintendent of schools," Haynes said. "He said, 'You're in the schools more than I am."

Matheney said when Haynes conducts the Amos Plant tours, people understand so much more about what the plant does.

"I am always amazed about how he can talk about the plant to a group of fourth - graders, who are as fascinated as a group of environmental engineers from around the world, at the tops of their fields," Matheney said. "He can meet the needs of whatever group he is hosting."

As the public representative of a company, Haynes praised Amos as having a high ethical standard, a constant emphasis on safety and a good moral fiber.

"I couldn't represent a company unless I believed what I'm saying," Haynes said.

But when the job is not always easy, customer service remains preeminent, he said.

Misdirected calls are a good example. Haynes receives them often. Instead of saying, "wrong number," he helps guide them to the right place.

"To me that is what customer service is about - that's what life is about, when you think about it," Haynes said. "Treating people the way you want to be treated and using good manners. If you do that, everything else will fall into place."

But for Haynes, his journey with the plant has ended. Maybe the next person in his shoes will feel the same way.

Matheney said she has been trying not to think about Haynes leaving. It makes her sad, she said.

"Joe's absence is going to be felt not only at John Amos Power Plant and throughout all of AEP, but so much in the community," Matheney said.

"He is irreplaceable. We are really happy for him, it is a wonderful opportunity for him, but we are going to miss him a lot."