BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- At a meeting of the Alabama Power Company Board of Directors on January 25, 2002, Willard Bowers was elected to the position of vice president for Environmental Affairs.

Bowers most recently served as general manager of environmental affairs at Alabama Power.

"This position is indicative of the company's efforts -- now and in the future -- to continue raising the bar of excellence in our commitment to protecting the environment," said Alabama Power President and CEO Charles McCrary. "Throughout his career, Willard Bowers has made tremendous contributions to the company's environmental stewardship efforts and has been a leader in helping the company balance the demand for electricity with the need to protect the air, land, water and wildlife."

During most of his career at Alabama Power, Bowers has led the company's environmental efforts on issues related to air quality, water quality, water use, solid waste and conservation.

In his new position, Bowers oversees the company's efforts to meet state and federal environmental rules and regulations. He also oversees the activities of the company's testing laboratory and its environmental field services, as well as its reservoir management and water policy activities. In addition, he represents the company before state and federal regulatory agencies, and various public forums on environmental issues.

Bowers became manager of environmental affairs in 1986 and was promoted to general manager in 1990. He was manager of environmental compliance, a job he had held from 1984 to 1986. He was manager of environmental licensing for Southern Company from 1975 to 1984. Before joining Alabama Power in 1971 as a reservoir regulation engineer, Bowers was an industrial engineer for the Department of the Navy in Washington, D.C.

Bowers earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in industrial engineering from the University of Alabama. Active in a number of environmental organizations, he is a board member of the Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, Legacy, and Partners in Environmental Education. He is a past president of Legacy, Keep Alabama Beautiful and People Against a Littered State. Bowers also serves on the Alabama Commission on Environmental Initiatives and has served a term on the Alabama Forever Wild Board.

He and his wife, Ruth Ann, have six children and three grandchildren. His hobbies include hiking in the Grand Canyon.

Alabama Power provides affordable, reliable electric service to 1.3 million customers in the lower two-thirds of Alabama. Alabama Power is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company , the largest producer of electricity in the United States and one of the world's largest independent power producers.

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SOURCE: Alabama Power Company