GULFPORT, MS - Mississippi Power's Board of Directors has elected Donald Ray Horsley vice president of customer services and retail marketing, effective April 1, 2006. He will replace Bobby Kerley, who is moving to Alabama Power as vice president of transmission.

“Don’s broad experience and proven performance make him ideal for this leadership role at Mississippi Power,” said President and CEO Anthony J. Topazi. “We have a unique opportunity to help rebuild the Coast and continue our legacy of providing the highest value of service to our customers. I am proud to have Don join our leadership team committed to that end.”

Horsley, a native of Birmingham, began his career with Alabama Power in 1978 as an engineer. Most recently he served as vice president of transmission for Alabama Power. His professional responsibilities have included division manager for the company’s Birmingham Division, general manager of Human Resources, assistant to the executive vice president and transmission lines manager for Power Delivery. Horsley has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s in business administration from the University of Alabama. He has been involved in a variety of community service, including serving as chairman of the Shelby County Economic and Industrial Development Authority, board member for the Jefferson County Schools Public Education Foundation, and the UAB School of Engineering Foundation Council.

“We are pleased for Bobby Kerley and his new opportunity at Alabama Power,” said Topazi. "Our company owes him a debt of gratitude for his leadership in response to the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina. He can go with the knowledge that he left a positive, everlasting mark on Mississippi Power."

Mississippi Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, serves customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. The company earned a 2006 Edison Award, the electric utility industry’s most prestigious honor, for restoration efforts after Hurricane Katrina.