Alford in Rhode Island

Alford continues climbing the ladder

By Michael Butler

Lloyd Alford turned 50 on St. Patrick's Day. The 1990 Tallassee High School graduate has made a good living in the broadcast industry. He now works with Fox Weather under the Fox News umbrella - no pun intended.

Today, Alford is quite pleased that he gets paid doing a job he thoroughly enjoys.

"It's fun to get paid to do what you want to do. The check comes every two weeks," said Alford. "It's a front row seat to history. It's amazing."

Alford is a videographer who has been behind the scenes for some of those historic events working for television stations in Montgomery, Birmingham, Atlanta and now with Fox Weather's Nashville bureau.

Travel Bags

"I don't even know why I have an apartment," Alford said of his new position in Tennessee. "I'm only there a few nights a month. I stay in Marriotts all over the country."

As for the travel...

"I enjoy it, if I get to drive. I've got that Suburban that's just packed down. If it's over eight hours, I'll fly. If you're flying, it's a hassle. You see these signs for two bags. I'm checking like 15 bags. "

Reporter Katie Byrne iced over in Newport, R.I.

The Fox Weather job came open last fall, so Alford's travel has been primarily for cold weather events like one in Rhode Island.

"It was like a 70-mile per hour snow storm. It was just beating you down," he said. "It got up to about two feet (of snow) in just one night. I think it was like four degrees."

He also covered recent wildfires in Colorado and the tornadoes that devastated Kentucky last year. He has videoed space launches at Cape Canaveral and Jeff Bezos' site in Texas. Alford has opted out on an offer to go to the conflict in Ukraine however.

"I'm good just hanging out here. I've got kids to raise. Let these young guys do it."

Nicole Valdez at the site of tornadoes in Mayfield, Kent.

Seeing a lot of places in his adult life is quite the contrast from his humble beginnings.

"I grew up in Tallassee. We went to Panama City."

Posing with Air Force One

He has been to Super Bowls, the World Series and Olympics. He has shot footage of celebrities and presidents.

"Bush, O'Bama, Clinton, Biden."

To Alford, a former Tallassee High School coach is as big in stature as any president.

"I started out with Coach (Woody) Weaver. That's probably when I'm the most nervous, coming back home."

Alford still has a lot more opportunities in front of him, but so far - so good. In his own words, "It's been a good ride."