Meridian native Joseph (Joe) Cole will make his debut in front of a camera Sunday night when he appears on the HGTV television series “Home Town.”

Cole, who graduated from Meridian High School in 2001, continued his education at Mississippi State where he received a degree in electrical engineering. In 2006 he began a career with Mississippi Power, the same company his father, David Cole had retired from after 30 years.

In 2021 Cole moved to Laurel as the Area Manager for Mississippi Power. He is the third employee from Mississippi Power to appear on the show that stars husband and wife team, Erin and Ben Napier. Cole talked with the Napiers about energy efficiency and provided advice on how to structure the project they were working on in an energy efficient way.

“In this episode they were renovating an existing commercial building,” Cole said. “We talked about energy efficiency for the building, but more specifically about the heating and cooling of the older building especially since it didn’t have existing ductwork for central air and heat.

“We ended up advising them a Ductless Mini-Split system would be a good option for older buildings that don’t have existing ductwork,” Cole said.

Cole also advised them about installing energy efficient windows as a add on for older structures.

“A big part is having windows that don’t take away from the classic appeal of the building – that plays a big role, as well as having windows that look good, but are energy efficient at the same time,” Cole said. “They achieved that.”

When asked about his experience on the set of “Home Town” Cole described it as relaxing and fun.

“For me it was intimidating at first, but the cast and crew were very reassuring and accommodating,” Cole said. “Ben and Erin were super down to earth and easy to talk to. It was a real comforting feeling and washed away all my jitters.”

“Home Town” is a fitting name for the popular show, Cole added.

“It was a home town feel, definitely a show to be proud of,” Cole said. “Erin and Ben feel like everyone’s neighbor. You get the Mississippi hospitality, plus they are very personable people to talk to.”

“Home Town” with Ben and Erin has given a lot of exposure for the city of Laurel. There is no shortage of talent, or opportunity in Laurel or Mississippi, according to Cole.

“The tourism has exploded,” Cole said. “People come from all around to see the charm they saw on TV, that he said has added another energy to the city. When you ride around Laurel it’s nothing to see license plates from places like Colorado, Montana, Louisiana and even as far away as Canada.

“When you see that charm on TV, and then you get here and walk, or drive around, it really grabs hold of you, and something you can’t miss…The downtown, I would say, within the state of Mississippi is second to none.”

Cole said he can sum up the experience of being in front of a camera in a few words,“It was fun and a confidence builder at the same time for me personally,” he said. “It was not something that came natural for me, but the cast and crew made it such an easy process.

“We were done filming before I knew it. I really enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind getting in front of a camera again.”