2024 CoreCivic Employee of the Year: Tommy Spell

Tommy Spell is just that guy. He's the guy you tap on the shoulder when you need help with something. He's the guy who you call in an emergency - the one who always gets it done. He's the guy who takes every opportunity to encourage others and makes sure things are squared away before ever considering his own needs. He's that immoveable fixture you just know will be there no matter what may arise. That's just Tommy Spell.

And that's why Shawn Gillis, warden at CoreCivic's Wheeler Correctional Facility in Alamo, Georgia, nominated Spell for CoreCivic's companywide Employee of the Year award, which the longtime maintenance supervisor humbly and joyfully accepted in December.

"He's 'Mr. One-Call-That's-All,'" Gillis said. "You can call on him anytime and he's going to be there, and that's regardless of whatever he's got going on."

The most recent and poignant example of Spell's dedication came before, during and after Hurricane Helene. The tropical cyclone that made landfall last September left a sweeping trail of devastation from Florida to Tennessee and North Carolina to Georgia, ultimately killing more than 230 Americans and causing billions of dollars in damage. The town of Alamo and surrounding communities were heavily impacted by the storm, with Gillis, a military veteran, referring to the aftermath as being comparable to that of a "war zone."

So, as the storm approached the Alamo community, Spell made sure his wife was safe and then headed to Wheeler for support. The power went out at the facility, so he stayed on for days to manage the generators and address any other issues that arose, including an HVAC unit that was impacted on the roof. When Spell, whose background is primarily in mechanical work and heavy equipment, discovered roads that were impassable to the facility and around town, he grabbed his own tools and began clearing debris - all before addressing the damage at his own home.

"He said, 'Boss, I will not leave this facility until we get power,'" Gillis said.

And Spell, who also serves as president of the Wheeler County Chamber of Commerce, was as good as his word.

Spell, who has worked at Wheeler for 13 years in various capacities, said he does what he does and is what he is because of how he was reared.

"I owe every bit of that to my daddy," he said. "I try to treat everywhere I work like it belongs to me."

Spell's late father, Jack Spell, was and is the person his son most admires. Jack's own father died when he was 16, so "he had to do it or not." That's where the Spell family work ethic began.

"He was pretty much like me - just a working man," Spell said. "He was raised on a farm and worked all his life."

Now, Spell is passing on the tradition to his son and two daughters.

"Tommy is definitely a servant leader, and he sets an example amongst his peers that everyone can follow and recognize," said Gillis. "He's that guy."