Alabama Power's President and COO Charles McCrary today announced the appointment of two new vice presidents as part of his transition plan. McCrary named Chris Bell vice president of economic development and Gordon Martin vice president of the company's Southern Division.

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"Both Chris Bell and Gordon Martin bring broad and deep experience and outstanding customer focus to their positions," McCrary said. "They will be an integral part of the management team."

Bell's team will work with state and local developers to recruit new business and expand existing business and industry in Alabama. Economic development has been a priority for Alabama Power since 1926, when it became the first electric utility in the nation to establish an economic development department.

Most recently, Bell served as business development manager for Energy Marketing, where he was responsible for maintaining ties with wholesale customers in Alabama as well as for long-term wholesale sales growth in the Southeast. Energy Marketing is a division of Southern Company , parent company of Alabama Power.

Bell joined Alabama Power in January 1984 as a junior engineer at the Miller Steam Plant construction project. Later, he worked in management roles in corporate planning and in public relations. In April of 1997, he was named assistant to McCrary, who was then Alabama Power's executive vice president for external affairs.

"Chris's background helps him appreciate the role that our company can play to help develop Alabama," McCrary said. "He has the leadership skills and insight needed to guide the outstanding team we have in place here."

Bell graduated from Auburn University in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, and he received his master's degree in business administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1990. Bell is a Birmingham native and the father of two children, Brennan, 12, and Sloane, 7.

He succeeds Steve Fant, who is retiring.

Gordon Martin joined Alabama Power in 1994 as assistant to the vice president of governmental relations in Washington, D.C. In Washington, he had worked as a legislative attorney for Hogan & Hartson and earlier for the McNair Law Firm.

"Gordon Martin is thinker and a leader," McCrary said. "The people of Montgomery and other areas of our Southern Division will find him to have great vision. I'm confident we're placing the right person in the right job."

Martin most recently served as manager of external affairs for Southern Company Generation and Energy Marketing, where he was responsible for government and regulatory affairs, communications, and investor and community relations.

In addition, Martin has worked in management roles at Southern Company Generation's fuel services office and in generation planning and development. At Alabama Power, he was division manager for external affairs for the Birmingham Division.

Martin's work in Washington also included a stint as legislative assistant to Alabama Sen. Howell Heflin.

Martin earned a bachelor's degree in business in 1982 from the University of Alabama, where he was president of the Student Government Association. In addition, he earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Alabama School of Law and a master's degree in public administration from George Washington University.

Martin and his wife, Margaret, have three children, Tucker, 5; Bailey, 4; and Perry, 2.

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SOURCE: Alabama Power