Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000036
Chunk: 15

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 15
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#### Southern Company2025 Proxy Statement13

#### Governance
Board Refreshment, Board Succession Planning and Board Composition

The Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee continues to focus on Board refreshment to align the Board’s long-term composition with the Company’s long-term strategy and to effect meaningful Board succession planning. It has an evergreen Board search process in place and has retained a nationally-recognized Board search firm to assist in the identification of qualified candidates. The Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee evaluates the evolving attributes, skills, experience, qualifications and expertise needed by the Board to determine the Board’s membership and size. Over the last three years, the Board has added five new Directors with a range of skills. Over the same period of time, four directors have stepped down from the Board, and an additional Director is retiring from the Board at the end of his term at the annual meeting. Our commitment to Our Values, including Intentional Inclusion and Superior Performance, begins with the Board. The Board believes a broad range of experiences and expertise contributes to a more effective decision-making process and helps drive long-term value. The Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee actively seeks out candidates with diverse backgrounds, skills and experience to include in the pool from which the Board nominees are chosen, with the ultimate decision on all Board nominations being based on contributions that the selected nominees will bring to the Board. The Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee assesses the effectiveness of its refreshment efforts and the development of a constructive culture through its regular evaluations of the Board’s composition.

| Board Additions Over Last Three Years |     |                                                                                                              |
|                                       |     | Shantella E. Cooper                                                                                          
 Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Journey Forward Strategies, LLC                                         |
|                                       |     | James O. Etheredge                                                                                           
 Managing Director, Monarch Private Capital and former Chief Executive Officer - North America, Accenture plc |
|                                       |     | David E. Meador                                                                                              
 Vice Chairman and Chief Administrative Officer, DTE Energy (retired)                                         |
|                                       |     | Lizanne Thomas                                                                                               
 Partner, Jones Day (retired)                                                                                 |
|                                       |     | Christopher C. Womack                                                                                        
 Chairman, President and CEO,                                                                                 
 Southern Company