UWG PR Students Score a Georgia Power Tour at Atlanta Corporate Office

On April 15, Public Relations and Communications students from the University of West Georgia took a field trip to Atlanta for an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience at Georgia Power’s corporate headquarters. The visit, led by UWG alum and Georgia Power’s Director of Communications, Jacob Hawkins, offered students a look into how strategic communications operate within one of the state’s largest and most regulated industries.

This field trip followed Georgia Power’s $25,000 donation to UWG’s student-run PR firm, bluestone, a partnership that underscores the company’s ongoing investment in the future of communications. The donation, presented earlier in the semester by Hawkins and his team on behalf of Georgia Power, laid the groundwork for a hands-on learning opportunity that blended academics with real-world practice.

Students were welcomed by members of Georgia Power’s communications department, including Lionel Hernandez and Andy Huff, the company’s Director of Executive Communication and Visual Storytelling. Huff shared his unconventional career path, which began with a passion for journalism, detoured into nonprofit work and ultimately led to corporate storytelling.

“You don’t have to gain every skill in school or on the job, Huff told the group, reflecting on how his college volunteer work for Relay for Life led to a career-shaping opportunity at the American Cancer Society. “You can gain just as much by volunteering,”

His story served as both inspiration and advice for students preparing to step into the professional world.
The visit provided a firsthand look at how Georgia Power’s communications team supports both internal and external messaging across the state. From simplifying the complexities of power generation and grid management to supporting real-life crisis communication, the team demonstrated how storytelling drives understanding and trust across diverse audiences.

Huff, who manages communication strategy for CEO Kim Greene, explained how his team uses a structured approach to map out the CEO’s engagement across six core stakeholder groups.

“There’s a real strategy behind where she shows up, how often, and what she says,” Huff explained. “It’s not just about showing up, it’s about being intentional.”

Throughout the day, students saw firsthand how public relations plays a critical role in crisis communications within a regulated industry by building public trust and connecting employees to mission-driven work. Whether through engaging town halls, strategic stakeholder messaging or simply translating complex data into easy to read language, Georgia Power’s communication professionals made one thing clear: effective storytelling is essential to powering a modern utility.

For the UWG students in the room, it was more than a tour. It was a glimpse into what’s possible when curiosity, strategy and purpose come together in one of Georgia’s most impactful industries.