Southern Company Names Jim Miller CEO of Southern Nuclear
James H. “Jim” Miller III, a 1971 graduate of the Culverhouse College Commerce, has been named president and chief executive officer of Southern Nuclear Operating Company.
Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO David M. Ratcliffe made the announcement.
Miller, who formerly served as senior vice president, compliance officer, and general counsel at Georgia Power, will assume the additional role as chairman of Southern Nuclear when J. Barnie Beasley retires Oct. 1.
“Nuclear energy will play an increasingly important role in meeting the growing electricity needs of our customers,” said Ratcliffe. “Jim has been in leadership roles in a variety of key areas across the Southern Company system including Southern Nuclear, and I am confident that this experience will be pivotal not only in sustaining the superior performance of our existing nuclear fleet but also in guiding the company through its nuclear expansion.”
Miller joined Southern Company in 1994 as corporate counsel for Southern Nuclear after achieving partner status with the Birmingham, Ala.-based law firm of Balch and Bingham. Since then, he has held roles of increasing responsibility, including senior vice president, external affairs, Alabama Power, and senior vice president, Birmingham Division, Alabama Power.
Additionally, Miller served as senior vice president, general counsel and assistant secretary for Southern Company Generation and Southern Power where he had responsibility for legal issues surrounding the wholesale generation business, as well as external issues relating to the operations of the power plants.
Miller has been involved in many community activities, including board membership of the Lakeshore Foundation, a non-profit organization that trains people with disabilities in athletic endeavors. He also serves on the board of Fidelity Southern Corporation, Fidelity Bank as well as the United Way and Farrah Law Society.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Alabama in 1971, Miller spent three years in the U.S. Navy and later reached the rank of lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Alabama in 1977, and is a graduate of the Advanced Management program at England’s Oxford University and the Nuclear Reactor Technology course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company, operates Plant Vogtle’s two existing nuclear power units for the plant owners. Southern Nuclear also operates the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant near Baxley, Ga., and the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant near Dothan, Ala.