ATLANTA – Southern Company announced today two organizational changes. Earl Parsons, formerly vice president of fuel services, has been named vice president-system contracts officer and associate general counsel, a new position within the company. Jeff Wallace has been named the new vice president of fuel services.
Parsons will provide oversight of contract management activities for Southern Company’s operating subsidiaries, competitive generation, energy services businesses and wireless communication.
“Our naming a contracts officer is another way to put even more emphasis on managing and implementing cost-effective contract policies and management systems to ensure we are in compliance with laws, regulations and ethical standards,” said Ed Holland, Southern Company executive vice president and general counsel. “Earl brings the right mix of legal and company experience to this position.”
Parsons joined Southern Company in 1991 at Georgia Power, where he held several positions of responsibility before being named managing director of SWEBGAS in Bristol, England, a former Southern Company subsidiary. He also has served as vice president and associate general counsel at Southern Company. Parsons holds a degree in finance from Auburn University, an MBA from Samford University and a law degree from Cumberland School of Law.
As head of fuel services, Wallace will be responsible for directing and coordinating the overall fuel operation at Southern Company, which includes the planning, procurement and delivery of gas, coal and oil in meeting system generation requirements.
“We are pleased to have Jeff in this critical role for Southern Company,” said Paul Bowers, president of Southern Company Generation. “Developing strategy for availability and cost control of fuel is crucial for the company’s continued success.”
Wallace most recently was vice president of planning and utility relations at Georgia Power, a Southern Company subsidiary. He joined the company in 1978, working in accounting and budgeting, resource management and customer service, among other areas, since that time. Wallace is a graduate of the University of Georgia with an MBA in finance from Georgia State University.
With 4.2 million customers and more than 40,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier super-regional energy company in the Southeast and 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 15 percent below the national average. Southern Company has been ranked the nation`s top energy utility in the American Customer Satisfaction Index six years in a row. Southern Company has more than 500,000 shareholders, making its common stock one of the most widely held in the United States. Visit the Southern Company Web site at www.southerncompany.com.