John L. Hutchinson, Gulf Power’s General Manager of Corporate Services, has been selected by Leadership Florida as a member of their 2011-2012 program.

Hutchinson, who has almost 30 years of experience in utility company management, was one of 54 leaders from across the state of Florida selected for the program that receives hundreds of applications each year.

The program, designed to enhance understanding of Florida’s history, demography, economy, trends and emerging issues, includes classroom and field events. The goal is to help outstanding community leaders from across the state develop a network to solve problems and identify opportunities to move the state forward.

Hutchinson has been named Community Leader of the Year by the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and is the incoming chairman of Florida’s Great Northwest, the Panhandle’s regional economic development organization. He is a past president of the Five Flags Rotary Club and is a board member of the Florida Research Consortium, the Florida Disaster Fund Advisory Council, the Florida Stem Council, the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce and the University of West Florida Foundation.

Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 430,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely deliver affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible energy to very satisfied customers in strong communities. Visit online at GulfPower.com or on the company’s Facebook page, “Gulf Power Company.”