Georgia Power President and CEO David Ratcliffe announced a new organization within the company to find out where the company’s diversity problems are located and to implement solutions to those issues. Sr. Vice President of Corporate Relations Jim Davis will add employee relations to his responsibilities, lead the new organization and report directly to the CEO.

“Jim’s leadership has been valuable to this company for a long time and he will do well in leading this new organization,” Ratcliffe said. “He will be reporting directly to me on the diversity issues so that together we can find and fix the problems.”

The new organization will help to implement the recommendations of the newly founded Diversity Advisory Council that is being co-chaired by Ratcliffe and Georgia Power Board Member Juanita Baranco.

A new position of Vice President of Diversity Action has been created to help manage the issues. Davis named Frank McCloskey, currently the region manager for Atlanta, as the new vice president.

“Frank McCloskey is the best person for this job because he truly values every employee and has invested his mind and soul into these issues,” Davis said. “Frank has demonstrated the leadership qualities needed to make the necessary changes in terms of diversity.”

Ratcliffe strongly supports Davis’s choice for the new vice president position. “It may seem counter-intuitive to name a white male to be the Diversity Action Vice President. However, this isn’t about minorities fixing minority problems, this is about valuing the differences in all of us and building a strong organization for the long-term success of our company. Frank’s passion makes him the best person for this job.”

In addition to the new vice president position, other changes include having the manager of Corporate Concerns report directly to Davis. Minority/Female Supplier Development will also move into the new organization as will the Equal Employment Office investigations and a new Diversity Action department that will be managed by Harriette Watkins, who is currently McCloskey’s assistant in the Atlanta Region. The manager of EEO will report directly to Ratcliffe with coordination through Davis.