The Georgia Chamber of Commerce formally introduced Paul Bowers as its 2015 Board Chair at the Chamber’s annual meeting held Tuesday in Atlanta.  Bowers, who currently serves as Chairman, President and CEO of Georgia Power Company, succeeds 2014 Chair Ernest L. Greer of Greenberg Traurig, LLP.  The Chamber also announced its new 2015 Board of Governors at the meeting, including Hank Linginfelter, Executive Vice President, Distribution Operations at AGL Resources, Inc., who will serve as the Chamber’s Board Chair in 2016.

“I am honored to serve as Board Chair during this historic year as the Georgia Chamber celebrates its 100th anniversary,” said Bowers. “I have seen the Chamber’s leadership and impact grow significantly over the last several years, and I look forward to playing a role in its continued success.  This milestone year will be an opportunity to honor the Georgia Chamber’s track record of achievement, which has contributed so much to our great state, while also charting the course to our future and working together to make Georgia better.”

“The Georgia Chamber is privileged to have Paul Bowers at the helm of our organization in 2015,” said Georgia Chamber President and CEO Chris Clark.  “Paul has been a key member of our Board for a number of years and we are grateful to have the benefit of his business experience and commitment to growing our state’s economy.”

Bowers has been an active member of the Georgia Chamber, most recently serving as Chairman of the 2014 Team Georgia Chamber membership campaign which surpassed its all time record, raising over $2.2 million.  Bowers joined the Southern Company at Gulf Power in 1979, Bowers has held executive leadership positions at multiple subsidiaries, and was named, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Georgia Power, effective December 31, 2010.  Bowers holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of West Florida and a master’s degree in management from Troy University.  He is also a Harvard Business School Advanced Management graduate.

Joining Bowers on the 2015 Georgia Chamber Board of Governors are:

Executive Committee

• Paul Bowers (Georgia Power Company) – 2015 Chair
• Chris Clark (Georgia Chamber of Commerce) – President & CEO
• Ernest L. Greer (Greenberg Traurig, LLP) – Immediate Past Chair
• Henry P. Linginfelter (AGL Resources, Inc.) – 2015 Chair-Elect
• Kevin A. Greiner (Gas South) – Chair, Administrative Services
• Beth Shiroishi (AT&T) – Chair, Georgia Chamber Center for Competitiveness

Committee Chairs

• Mel Haas, III (Constangy Brooks & Smith LLP) – Business & Industry
• Susan Bell (EY) – Education & Workforce
• Bryan Batson (Atlanta Gas Light) – Energy & Natural Resources
• Tim Lowe, III (Lowe Program Management) – Health & Wellness
• Eric J. Tanenblatt (McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP) – Innovation & Technology
• Thomas P. Bishop (Georgia Power Company) – Law & Judiciary
• William H. Linginfelter (Regions Bank) and Ben J. Tarbutton (Sandersville Railroad Company) – Political Affairs Committee
• Michael T. Petrik (Alston & Bird LLP) – Tax & Finance
• John J. Neely, III (Gulfstream Aerospace Corp) – International Advisory Council
• Martin Long (Long & Associates, LLC) – Small Business Advisory Council
• Dinah Rowe (Chatsworth-Murray County Chamber of Commerce) – GACCE

Government Affairs Council Chair

• Elizabeth Chandler (Georgia Bankers Association)

Georgia Transportation Alliance, Chair

• Michael Sullivan (American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia)

Regional Chairs

• Nicolas Bouckaert (Beaulieu Group, LLC) – Region 1
• Carol Burrell (Northeast Georgia Health System, Inc.) – Region 2
• Samuel L. Gude, III (Gude Management Group) – Region 3
• Randy Jackson (Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc.) – Region 4
• Rabun Neal (Reynolds Plantation) – Region 5
• Robbo Hatcher (H2 Capital, Inc.) – Region 6
• W. Bryan Mash (Club Car, Inc.) – Region 7
• Joel F. Ames (Liberty Utilities) – Region 8
• Jimmy Allgood, Jr. (Allgood Pest Solutions) – Region 9
• Bodine Sinyard (Adams Exterminators, Inc.) – Region 10
• Wesley Langdale, III (The Langdale Company) – Region 11
• Eric Johnson (Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung) – Region 12

General Governors

• James C. Allen (The Atlanta Braves)
• Stephen R. Avera (Flowers Foods, Inc.)
• Janet Barnard (Cox Enterprises)
• Dave Cole (IBM Corporation)
• Shan Coope (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.)
• Kenneth C. Cornelius (Siemens)
• Jac Counts (Cancer Treatment Centers of America)
• J.J. DeRoy (Zaxby’s)
• William R. Dexheimer (ChipRewards Inc.)
• Brian Fahrenthold (Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC)
• Jeff Gardner (Windstream Communications)
• Chad Gregory (Wells Fargo)
• Simone Harrison (Scientific Games International)
• Ed Heys (Deloitte)
• Tad Hutcheson (Delta Air Lines, Inc.)
• Morgan Kendrick (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia)
• Doug Kidd (INVESCO, Inc.)
• Kerry Kohnen (Kaiser Permanente)
• Kim Menefee (WellStar Health System, Inc.)
• Frank Morris (UPS)
• Amol Naik (Google)
• Trey Paris (General Electric Company)
• Allen Richardson (Koch Industries / Georgia-Pacific)
• Jim Smith (Atlanta Falcons)
• Kessel D. Stelling, Jr. (Synovus)
• Kirby Thompson (SunTrust Bank)
• Mark Tilkin (State Farm Insurance Companies)
• J. Henry Walker, IV (Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP)
• Christopher Whitis (PNC Financial Services)
• J. Thomas Wiley, Jr. (State Bank & Trust Company)
• Yvonne Williams (Perimeter Community Improvement Districts)
• Paul Wood (Georgia Electric Membership Corporation)