In an effort to increase the company’s focus on customers and the communities it serves, Georgia Power President and CEO Mike Garrett today announced a restructuring of the company’s field operations that moves some officer positions out of Atlanta and establishes others in key cities around the state.

The reorganization provides multiple cross-company leadership development opportunities within Southern Company –a key priority for the company as it works to further strengthen the depth and diversity of its management ranks. The Georgia Power Board of directors elected individuals to fill the positions of region vice president; some were either already officers of Georgia Power or other Southern Company subsidiaries.

“This reorganization moves key leaders closer to our customers, employees and the communities and cities we serve,” Garrett said. “These changes reflect our commitment to customer service and community development and our goals to enhance efficiencies, operate consistently around the state and support our motto of being a ‘Citizen Wherever We Serve.’”

The region vice presidents will be located in Atlanta, Athens, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Rome and Valdosta and will report to Mickey Brown, executive vice president of the customer service organization. A metro region senior vice president will oversee region managers serving the metro Atlanta area. “By establishing these key leadership positions around the state, we believe we can focus more on serving our customers and helping Georgia grow and prosper,” Brown said.

Richard Holmes was named senior vice president of the metro Atlanta region and will continue to oversee diversity and corporate relations for the company. The other region vice presidents are: Jim Sykes, vice president of Northeast region, located in Athens; Walter Dukes, vice president of East region, located in Augusta; Jacki Lowe, vice president of West region, located in Columbus; Thomas Wicker, vice president of Central region, located in Macon; Jeff Franklin, vice president of Northwest region, located in Rome; and Terri Lupo, vice president of South region, located in Valdosta.

Holmes was formerly senior vice president of corporate services, including diversity and corporate relations. Sykes was a region vice president in Atlanta; Dukes was a region manager in Augusta; Lowe was vice president of supply chain management at Southern Company; Wicker was assistant to the president and CEO of Georgia Power; Franklin was assistant to the executive vice president of external affairs of Alabama Power; and Lupo was a region manager in Rome.

The region vice presidents will provide overall leadership of operations, sales, customer service, economic and community development, external affairs and transmission.

In addition to the region appointments, Gene Ussery was elected vice president of distribution with responsibility for design, construction and maintenance of the distribution system statewide. Ussery was formerly vice president and senior production officer of Mississippi Power.

Chuck Huling, Georgia Power’s director of environmental affairs, was elected vice president of environmental affairs by the Georgia Power board.

Other moves as a result of the restructuring include: Bryan Fletcher, formerly a region vice president in Atlanta, was appointed vice president of supply chain management at Southern Company; Lamont Houston, formerly a region vice president in Atlanta, was appointed Georgia Power vice president of administrative services.

Also, Pete Ivey, formerly vice president of administrative services for Georgia Power, was appointed vice president in Southern Company’s transmission organization; Myrna Pittman, formerly Atlanta region manager, was elected vice president of customer services by the Alabama Power board of directors; and Mike Anderson, formerly metro south region manager, was appointed assistant to the president and CEO of Georgia Power.

Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest generators of electricity. The company is an investor-owned, tax-paying utility, serving customers in 57,000 of the state’s 59,000 square miles. Georgia Power’s two million customers are in all but six of Georgia’s 159 counties.