Southern Company announces management changes as part of transition plan

ATLANTA, Feb. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company and its subsidiaries today announced the following executive moves in support of the company's efforts to build the future of energy. Each leader possesses the capabilities and character to understand the organization from a skill and experience perspective, align with the company's overall values and deliver strong results.

As part of the company's management transition plan, effective March 1, 2023, David Poroch will become comptroller and chief accounting officer of Southern Company and senior vice president and chief accounting officer of Southern Company Services (SCS) succeeding Ann Daiss, who has announced her intention to retire May 1.

Grace Kolvereid will become executive vice president and CFO of Southern Company Gas, replacing Poroch.

With the previously announced retirement of current Alabama Power CFO, Phil Raymond, also effective March 1, 2023, Moses Feagin, currently senior vice president, treasurer and CFO at Mississippi Power, will become executive vice president, treasurer and chief financial officer of Alabama Power.

Matthew Grice will become vice president, treasurer and CFO of Mississippi Power, succeeding Feagin.

Effective April 1, 2023, Sterling Spainhour, senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for Georgia Power, has been named executive vice president, chief legal officer and chief compliance officer for Southern Company, succeeding James Y. (Jim) Kerr II, who earlier this month was announced as the incoming chairman, CEO and president of Southern Company Gas.

Effective March 31, 2023, Sloane Drake, senior vice president of human resources for Southern Company, will become chief human resources officer (CHRO) of Southern Company.

Chris Womack said, "A hallmark of Southern Company is the deep pool of talent we develop within our organization. As the energy landscape continues to evolve and customers' needs continue to change, Sterling, Sloane, David, Grace, Moses and Matt will bring their own dynamic leadership skills to their new roles as we continue our vital work of serving our customers with clean, safe reliable and affordable energy they need to live and work. Their alignment with our values and ability to deliver strong results will serve our customers well."

Poroch currently serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Southern Company Gas. In this role, he directs finance, accounting, business planning and risk management functions. Before assuming this role, Poroch was executive vice president, CFO and treasurer of Georgia Power. In that capacity, he oversaw Georgia Power's accounting and financial reporting, financial planning and analysis, budgeting and treasury functions. David began his career with Southern Company in 2012 as vice president and chief audit executive for SCS. Previously, David was a partner with Deloitte & Touche LLP. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Northwood University in Midland, Michigan and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Kolvereid currently serves as senior vice president and comptroller at Southern Company Gas where she oversees the accounting and pipeline investments segments of the business. Kolvereid joined Southern Company Gas in 2006 as managing director of corporate tax, where she implemented various tax technology and process improvement initiatives to modernize the company's tax function. In 2010, she was promoted to vice president of corporate tax and served in that role until 2016 when she was promoted to senior vice president and comptroller. Prior to joining the company, she held senior level tax positions at Delta Air Lines. Kolvereid earned a bachelor's degree in accounting with a minor in French from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. She also holds a master's degree in taxation from American University in Washington, D.C., is a Certified Public Accountant and is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta.

Feagin currently serves as Mississippi Power's vice president, treasurer and CFO where he oversees the finance, accounting, regulatory affairs and rates departments. He also serves as chief diversity officer – the first in the company's history. Moses joined Southern Company in 1987, progressing from junior to senior level accounting positions. He became Mississippi Power's comptroller in 2005 and in 2008, he was elected vice president and comptroller for Alabama Power. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Moses holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Alabama, is a Certified Management Accountant, is a member of the Institute of Management of Accountants and a graduate of the Executive Finance and Accounting Program at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Grice serves as comptroller for Mississippi Power where he is responsible for leading the company's accounting functions, including supporting regulatory proceedings, organizational initiatives, process improvement efforts and external financial reporting. Grice joined Mississippi Power in 2004 after working for KPMG in Washington, D.C. He began as a financial analyst and held positions of increasing responsibility in finance and accounting. In 2018, Grice became assistant treasurer and finance director. A native of North Carolina, Grice holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Master of Accounting from the University of North Carolina. He is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Spainhour serves as senior vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer for Georgia Power. He oversees the company's legal and compliance organizations as well as Georgia Power's corporate services, sustainability, risk management, land, and security functions. He also serves on the company's management council. Before assuming this role in July 2020, Sterling served as senior vice president and general counsel of SCS, where he led the legal organization of the shared services company that supports Southern Company's operating company subsidiaries. Prior to joining Southern Company, Sterling was a partner at Jones Day where his practice focused on mergers and acquisitions. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Duke University School of Law and Fuqua School of Business

Drake is senior vice president of Human Resources for Southern Company and Georgia Power and leads the human resources organizations. This includes talent management, diversity and inclusion, labor relations, health and well-being services, and HR delivery organizations. In addition, Drake oversees talent acquisition, talent management and the development of diversity and inclusion strategies for Southern Company. She also is a member of the Georgia Power Management Council. Drake joined Southern Company in 2001 as a participant in Georgia Power's Professional Development Program and has held several positions in Southern Company's HR organization, including the dual role as assistant to the vice president of HR and talent manager. Drake graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

About Southern Company

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million residential and commercial customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy infrastructure company with national capabilities, a fiber optics network, and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience, and sustainability, we are taking action to meet our customers' and communities' needs while advancing our commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture and hiring practices have earned the company national awards and recognition from numerous organizations, including Forbes, Military Times, DiversityInc, Black Enterprise, J.D. Power, Fortune, Human Rights Campaign and more. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com.

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