ATLANTA – Southern Company’s board of directors has elected Bill Habermeyer, Jr. to the board. Habermeyer retired last year as President and Chief Executive Officer of Progress Energy Florida.

“Bill Habermeyer has a wealth of experience as an outstanding leader in the electric utility industry and he will be a valuable addition to our Southern Company board,” said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO David Ratcliffe.

Habermeyer joined Progress Energy, formerly CP&L, in 1993. While with Progress, Habermeyer served in various leadership roles including Vice President of Nuclear Services and Environmental Support, Vice President of Nuclear Engineering and Vice President of Progress Energy's Western Region. While overseeing Western Region operations, Habermeyer was responsible for regional distribution management, customer support and community relations. He served as President and CEO of Progress Energy Florida, Inc. from 2000 to 2006, responsible for Florida operations of the regulated utility. Habermeyer also served in the United States Navy in various submarine operational leadership roles. His military medals include seven awards of the Legions of Merit, two Navy Commendation Medals and service and campaign awards.

Habermeyer serves on the board of directors of Raymond James Financial, Inc. He is past Vice Chairman of Enterprise Florida Inc., immediate past Chairman of the Tampa Bay Partnership and past Chairman of the Pinellas Education Foundation. He also serves on the boards for the Suncoast Boys and Girls Clubs, the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg, the Council for Educational Change, the Salvador Dali Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts-St. Petersburg. 

Habermeyer is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and has a master’s degree in public administration from George Washington University.

With 4.3 million customers and more than 41,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America’s fastest-growing regions. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are significantly below the national average. Southern Company has been listed the top ranking U.S. electric service provider in customer satisfaction for seven consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at www.southerncompany.com.