Becky Blalock, senior vice president and chief information officer for Southern Company, was named Global CIO of the Year by the Georgia CIO Leadership Association (GCLA).

Established in 1998, the Georgia CIO of the Year Awards honor individuals who have demonstrated outstanding technology leadership in Georgia. They recognize chief information officers, or executives in equivalent positions, who have shown excellence in managing their organization’s enterprise-wide information systems. The awards are segmented into three categories: global – CIOs who manage 5,000 desktops and over; national – CIOs who manage 1,000 – 5,000 desktops; and regional – CIOs who manage up to 1,000 desktops.

In accepting the award, Blalock recognized the more than 1,000 employees on the Southern Company Information Technology team. “I am honored to accept this award for the employees of IT at Southern Company. Their teamwork, innovation and dedication truly deserve this level of recognition. They are such an important part of the success of Southern Company and I’m proud to be a part of their team,” Blalock said. As senior vice president and chief information officer, Blalock direct all aspects of Southern Company’s IT function, which provides support and guidance in maintenance, operations and application design for information technologies. Since joining Southern Company in 1978 in Georgia Power’s Accounting Management program, Blalock has developed broad management skills, holding positions in Regulatory Affairs, Accounting, Finance, Customer Service, Information Resources, Marketing, Corporate Communication and Economic Development.

Blalock graduated from the State University of West Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She earned a master’s degree in finance with honors from Mercer University and also has successfully completed Harvard University’s Program for Management Development. She also completed a year-long fellowship with the International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation.

All nominees for Georgia CIO of the Year were judged by the official Awards Selection Committee, which is comprised of past award winners and Georgia technology leaders. Eligible candidates must be employed by a Georgia-based business, primarily responsible for the technical performance of the organization, a member of top management and have a proven track record of technology leadership.

The GCLA is the primary advocate and unified voice for the Georgia CIO community. Its mission is to build a strong professional community among Georgia`s information technology leaders. The GCLA exists to provide a forum to share ideas, best practices and experiences relevant to CIOs. It is committed to creating opportunities for Georgia CIOs to engage in substantive, issues-based discussion related to their industries and profession. The organization promotes industry growth and professional development by hosting luncheons and other events that facilitate valuable interaction among senior-level experts.

With 4 million customers and nearly 39,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier super-regional energy company in the Southeast and a leading U.S. producer of electricity. Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states, a growing competitive generation company, an energy services business and a competitive retail natural gas business, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are 15 percent below the national average. Southern Company has been named two consecutive years No. 1 on Fortune magazine’s “America’s Most Admired Companies” list in the Electric and Gas Utility industry. Southern Company has been ranked the nation’s top energy utility in the American Customer Satisfaction Index four years in a row, and in the latest survey tied for the highest score among all service industry companies. Southern Company has more than 500,000 shareholders, making its common stock one of the most widely held in the United States. Visit the Southern Company Web site at www.southerncompany.com.

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