Mississippi Power CEO surprises his first supervisor with 40-year pin

Mississippi Power President and CEO Anthony Wilson fondly remembers working for Randy Castello when he first joined the company after graduating from Mississippi State University.

Wilson was a junior engineer, and Castello was the engineering supervisor for the Gulfport District. Wilson is now the company’s president and CEO, and Castello is the Coastal Division Distribution manager.

While the employee-employer relationship shifted over the years, they remain entwined in each other’s careers as teammates and friends.

That’s why it was extra special when Wilson recognized Castello during the recent Safety Kickoff meeting at the Coast Service Center for his 40 distinguished years of service with the company.

“I’d rather be in the background and let the folks who do the stuff get accolades, but he surprised me,” Castello said. “I didn’t see that coming. It really meant a lot to me that he would do that.”

Wilson spoke of his early years working at the Coast Service Center and the impact Castello had on his career.

“All of us have people who are instrumental in helping with our career development,” Wilson said. “Randy certainly was one of those people who provided me with early opportunities to grow, so it was a tremendous honor for me to be able to honor him for his many years of dedicated service to our company.”

The company asked Castello to go to the Panama City, Fla., area last year to use his expertise in helping Gulf Power rebuild and restore service amid the devastation of Hurricane Michael.

Castello spent about a month in Florida, providing guidance to the Gulf Power team in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

“I was acting as a whisperer of sorts,” Castello said. “I’ve been through restorations before without the aid of technology. I was able to observe and evaluate and tell them here’s something you might want to check on or you might need to do this because I’ve done it so many times.”

While Castello has an eye on his future and retirement, he also is mindful of transferring his knowledge to others before he steps away.

“I’m doing everything I can do to get the next group of leaders ready and we’re getting close,” Castello said. “I’ve always told Anthony that as long as I’m having fun, and my wife and I have our health, that will keep me working. I’ll step away when it’s the right time. I don’t know when but I’m almost there.”

Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for more than 187,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. With nearly 160 megawatts of approved solar energy capacity, Mississippi Power is the largest partner in providing renewable energy in the state of Mississippi. Visit our website at mississippipower.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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