Mississippi Power Company’s Board of Directors has named a new president/CEO to replace Dwight Evans, who will assume the positions of executive vice president of Southern Company and president, Southern Company External Affairs Group. Michael D. Garrett has been named Mississippi Power’s new chief executive officer, the ninth president in the Gulfport-based company’s 76-year history.

Garrett comes to his new position from Alabama Power, where he was executive vice president. His career with Southern Company and its affiliates has extended over 30 years. Previous jobs at Alabama Power included executive vice president of External Affairs, senior vice president, and Birmingham Division vice president. He came to Alabama after serving as Western Division vice president for Georgia Power.

“Mike Garrett comes to Mississippi Power with a proven track record and a wide range of experience in many facets of our business,” said Allen Franklin, Southern Company’s president and CEO. “I have every confidence that he will continue to build on the record of excellence that has been established at Mississippi Power over the past three-quarters of a century.”

“I’m proud to be coming to Mississippi,” Garrett said. “I look forward to carrying on the great tradition of service created by the employees of Mississippi Power. I feel fortunate to be making this move at a time when the opportunities here are limitless.”

A native of McRae, Georgia, Garrett holds a bachelor of business administration degree from Georgia College and attended the Advanced Management Program at Oxford University. He has been active in state and local organizations in the Birmingham area, and was chairman-elect of the Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce. Garrett and his wife, Karen, have three daughters.

Evans came to Mississippi Power in March 1995. During his six-year tenure, he played an instrumental role in economic development projects on a statewide basis. He co-chaired, with Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, the Mississippi Economic Development Partnership, taking part in the effort to bring Nissan to Mississippi. He served as chair or co-chair of numerous other boards and organizations, including the Mississippi Economic Council, the Institute for Technology Development, and the State Workforce Development Council.

“Dwight Evans has served Mississippi Power well during the past six years,” said Franklin. “In addition, his personal leadership and commitment to the state of Mississippi have served to establish new expectations regarding resolution of issues facing the state.”

“My experience here has been extremely rewarding,” Evans said. “I have grown to love and appreciate Mississippi and its people. During my time here, I’ve worked with some of the finest, hardest working people anywhere, and I predict continued great things for the state as well as for Mississippi Power.”

Mississippi Power serves more than 191,000 customers in 23 southeastern Mississippi counties. It is part of the Southern Company, one of the largest producers of electricity in the U.S., and also the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Savannah Electric, Southern Nuclear, Southern Company Energy Solutions, Southern LINC and Southern Telecom.