The Board of Directors of Southern Communications today named Robert G. Dawson president and chief executive officer of the Southern Company subsidiary, effective Oct. 15.

Dawson succeeds Robert Beason, a Southern Company vice president who has served as Southern Communications’ acting president since the retirement of Roy Barron in August.

“Bob Dawson clearly has the business skills needed to help Southern Communications expand its operations,” said A.W. Dahlberg, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of The Southern Company. Southern Communications builds and maintains a mobile radio dispatching system for Southern Company utilities. The company also will market the system to other companies.

Dawson moves from his position as a vice president of Southern Electric International, where he has overseen operations in Argentina, Chile, the Grand Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago. Previously, he has served as vice president, power generation and delivery, at Mississippi Power, and vice president, fuel services, for Southern Company Services.

Dawson joined The Southern Company in 1964 in the system planning department at Southern Company Services. During his career, he has been responsible for load research, bulk power marketing, load dispatch, fuel procurement, environmental performance, and system planning.

Dawson earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1969 and a master’s degree in business administration from Georgia State University in 1976. He is a registered professional engineer in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi.