ATLANTA, Oct. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Wes McDowell, vice president and chief information officer for the Georgia region of Southern Company, was named Enterprise CIO of the Year by the Georgia CIO Leadership Association (GCLA).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080801/SOCOLOGO )

Established in 1998, the Georgia CIO of the Year Award honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding technology leadership in Georgia. They recognize chief information officers, or executives in equivalent positions, who have shown excellence in managing their organization's enterprise-wide information systems.

The awards are segmented into four categories: Global – CIOs who manage 2,500 IT users and a multinational operation; Enterprise – CIOs who mange more than 1,000 IT users; Corporate – CIOs who manage up to 1,000 IT users; and Nonprofit/Public Sector – CIOs who manage any not-for-profit organizations, government agencies or schools in the public sector.

In accepting the award, McDowell said, "As someone who has been a CIO and in the technology arena for only five years, this is a tremendous honor. I want to thank the sponsors that make this event possible, the GCLA and their board of directors." McDowell also recognized the more than 1,000 employees on the Southern Company Information Technology team saying, "...without them, this would not be possible. It is an honor to work in the IT organization and at Southern Company."

As vice president and regional CIO, McDowell is responsible for technology strategy and implementation for Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power, Energy Sales and Efficiency and Customer Service. McDowell also serves as smart grid coordinator for Southern Company and is a board member of the Technology Association of Georgia, Smart Grid Society of Georgia and the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership.

McDowell graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor's degree in accounting. He earned a master's degree in business administration from Mercer University and also has successfully completed Harvard University's Program for Management Development. McDowell is also a graduate of Leadership Atlanta.

All nominees for Georgia CIO of the Year were judged by the official Awards Selection Committee, which is comprised of past award winners and Georgia technology leaders. Eligible candidates must be employed by a Georgia-based business, primarily responsible for the technical performance of the organization, a member of top management and have a proven track record of technology leadership.

The GCLA is the preeminent professional organization for Georgia's information technology leaders. Its membership is comprised exclusively of chief information officers or individuals in equivalent positions at companies and organizations throughout the state.

With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company is the parent firm of electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications companies. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national average. Southern Company was named the World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility by Fortune magazine in 2011, and is consistently listed among the top U.S. electric service providers in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

SOURCE Southern Company