Gulf Power Company Vice President Bernard Jacob announced he is retiring after a 31½-year career with Southern Company.

Jacob joined Gulf Power in 2003 as the VP of External Affairs and Corporate Services. In 2007 he became the VP of Customer Service and Operations.

“I’ve had a wonderful career at Southern Company and have been blessed to be associated with such an outstanding organization at Gulf Power,” Jacob said. “The best part has been working with a great team who all share a common goal of keeping the customer at the center of everything they do.”

Under Jacob’s leadership and guidance, Gulf Power has improved in many areas, including safety and customer satisfaction. Last year the company finished No. 1 overall in the Customer Value Benchmark survey, which measures utilities on customer satisfaction. The company also had one of its best years in reliability.

In addition, Jacob is active in the community, serving on the board of directors for Gulf Power Foundation (chairman), Baptist Health Care and Step Up For Students. He also serves on the Edison Electric Institute Retail Energy Services Executive Advisory Committee and the Electric Power Research Institute Power Delivery Utilization Committee. He is past-Chairman of the Board of the United Telecom Council in Washington, D.C., past-Chairman of Florida’s Great Northwest Board of Directors and past-Chairman of the Governance Council for the WIRED Initiative. He has also served on the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Gulf Power President and CEO Stan Connally praised Jacob for his commitment and dedication to the company and its customers.

“Bernard is a remarkable leader. His insight and thoughtful deliberation of issues have clearly elevated our company,” Connally said. “The legacy of his work will continue to have a positive impact on our company into the future. He will certainly be missed.”