The Alabama Power board of directors has elected Ronn Patterson as vice president and assistant treasurer of the company. Patterson is now assistant comptroller of Alabama Power. In his new assignment, he will be responsible for the Corporate Secretarial Department, Risk Services, and Credit and Collections. Patterson will assume his new duties on June 1.

The board of directors also elected Ceila Haynes Shorts as corporate secretary of Alabama Power. Shorts, an assistant corporate secretary, also will start her new duties on June 1. As corporate secretary, she will manage the activities of the board of directors, including coordinating all director and shareholder meetings. She will report to Patterson.

The elections follow the retirement announcement of Bill Zales, vice president, corporate secretary and assistant treasurer for Alabama Power. Zales’ retirement is effective June 1.

“Ronn and Ceila bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their new positions,” said Charles McCrary, Alabama Power president and CEO. “We look forward to their contributions in these important areas of responsibility for the company.”

Patterson and Shorts are longtime employees of Alabama Power. Patterson began his career at Alabama Power in 1978 as a junior accountant and became a supervisor in 1988 within the Financial Reporting and Controls department. In 1993, Patterson became the manager of Fuel and Tax Accounting. He was named assistant comptroller in 2006.

Patterson lives in Pleasant Grove and attends Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon, Sunday school director and teacher, and treasurer, among other volunteer activities. He graduated from the University of Alabama in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.

Shorts joined Alabama Power’s Corporate Secretarial department in 1992 following nearly a decade working for the Jefferson County Commission. In 2000, she was elected assistant corporate secretary and has been primarily responsible for helping the corporate secretary manage the activities of the board of directors.

Shorts attended Miles College and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She serves on the board of directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham and is a member of the Society of Corporate Secretaries & Governance Professionals and the National Association of Corporate Directors. She and her husband, Jonathan, are members of South Elyton Baptist Church in Birmingham. They have two children and are the proud grandparents of a 2-year-old granddaughter.

Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), provides reliable, affordable electricity to more than 1.4 million customers across the state.