Southern Company announced that Dr. Mark S. Berry, currently vice president of Environmental & Natural Resources for Georgia Power, will be adding the position of vice president of Southern Company Services Research & Development, effective August 6th. In a dual role, Dr. Berry will continue to lead Georgia Power's Environmental & Natural Resources organization while also leading Southern Company's research and development activities.

Dr. Berry began his career in the Research & Environmental Affairs organization in 1996 as an intern. Over his career he has held positions of increasing responsibility, including director of Research & Technology Management. After a stint outside of Southern Company as a research director at the Southern Research Institute and the Electric Power Research Institute, Dr. Berry rejoined Southern Company in 2015 as vice president of Environmental Affairs at Georgia Power.

He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Alabama A&M University and a bachelor's and master's degree in mechanical engineering and a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He also earned a master's degree in public and private management from Birmingham Southern College and is a registered professional engineer in the State of Alabama.

For five decades, Southern Company's research and development organization has been leading industry innovation and leveraging research grants to deliver value to customers. In its 50th year, Southern Company research and development continues to serve customers by developing low-carbon generation technologies, advancing distributed energy solutions, modernizing the grid, promoting a culture of sustainability and developing new business models.