GULFPORT, Miss. - Feb. 13, 2008 - Mississippi Power’s board of directors has elected Dr. Martha D. Saunders as its newest member, effective February 27, 2008. Saunders is the president of The University of Southern Mississippi. The ninth president of Southern Miss, Saunders was appointed to the university in May 2007, continuing an illustrious career of higher-education leadership.

“In a very short period of time, Dr. Saunders has made great strides on the Southern Miss campus through her leadership, vision and passion for the university,” said Mississippi Power President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony Topazi. “We look forward to her bringing that level of leadership to help guide our company as we work to meet our customers’ growing needs for electric energy. I am very pleased Dr. Saunders has accepted our invitation to join our company board. She is a welcomed addition.”

Before returning to her native Mississippi, Dr. Saunders made a profound impact on institutions of high learning across the country. Dr. Saunders came to Southern Mississippi from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she served as its first-ever female Chancellor. She brought the campus together with a widely inclusive strategic planning process and finalized plans for major building projects totaling $110 million. Prior to that appointment, Dr. Saunders served as vice president of academic affairs at Columbus State University in Georgia where she served on a leadership team for a successful $100 million capital campaign. She led the campus in developing several initiatives to increase student enrollment and recruit and retain outstanding faculty and staff.

She previously held the position of dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of West Florida, where she had already earned the rank of tenured professor of communication. At UWF, she also worked as director of the University Honors Program.

 Saunders has a B.A. in French from the University of Southern Mississippi; a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia in Athens; and a Ph.D. in Communication Theory and Research from Florida State University in Tallahassee.

 Mississippi Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, serves customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties.

###

Media Contact: Cindy Duvall, Mississippi Power Corporate Communications, 228.865.5543 or 1.800.821.6383, cwduvall@southernco.com