Alabama Power public relations vice president Bill Keller announced today that he plans to retire from APC and start his own communications business.

Keller, 57, who served as executive director of the Alabama Press Association for 16 years prior to coming to APC, said he plans to start his own business this summer.

"When I started working at Alabama Power, I was most impressed with the quality of the employees," he said, "and every week here, I've met people who confirm that impression.

"Under the leadership of the company's new president and CEO, Charles McCrary, Alabama Power will continue to attract and develop top-flight employees who will help the company continue to play a strong role in Alabama's development."

"Bill has played an instrumental role in guiding the company's communications efforts during a time of transition," McCrary said. "With the contacts he has around the state and nation and with his experience, I'm sure he will do well in his new business."

Keller had planned when he was at APA to retire in August of this year to start a communications business.

In his new work, he plans to offer communication services to businesses, including Alabama Power, other organizations and educational institutions.

At APA, he led the organization's legislative lobbying efforts, among other things, and he said he plans to include legislative communications as part of the new business, Keller Communications.

He said he also wants to spend more time working in some local charities and civic efforts.

Already active in a number of organizations, he is president of the Friends of the Alabama Department of Archives and History and treasurer of the Alabama Humanities Foundation. He is also on the boards of the Literacy Council of Central Alabama, Leadership Birmingham Members Association and Alabama Center for Open Government. In addition, he is on the board of visitors of the University of Alabama College of Communications and Information Science.

Keller is also active in a communication education support group at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and he has been a member of a journalism support group at Auburn University. He is a member of local public relations groups and a past member of a higher education public relations group and trade association management groups.

In 2000, he was secretary of the national Newspaper Association Managers and was in line to be president this year when he left APA to join Alabama Power.

He is a past board member and past program chairman of the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, past state crusade chairman of the American Cancer Society, past president of the Society of Professional Journalists, Alabama professional chapter, and past president of the University of Alabama College of Communication alumni.

Keller and his wife, Jeanetta, an executive vice president of Southern Progress Corp., live in Birmingham. Both earned doctorates in higher education administration at The University of Alabama, and both worked at the University of Montevallo in the late 1970s and early 1980s. At Montevallo, he was assistant to the president for media relations and director of information services.

Keller began his communication career as a radio announcer in his hometown, Albertville, during summers in the mid 1960s. In 1971, after four years as an Air Force aircraft maintenance officer, he took his first job at a newspaper at the Sand Mountain Reporter, also in Albertville. In 1975, he left Albertville to earn a master's degree in journalism at Alabama.

Keller has also worked as a reporter at the Tuscaloosa News and has worked for Consolidated Publishing Co. of Anniston as editor and publisher of The Daily Home in Talladega and assistant to the publisher of The Anniston Star.

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SOURCE: Alabama Power Company