Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000036
Chunk: 26

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 26
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 the Chairman at any time) 
 4Serve as the primary contact Director for stockholders and other interested parties                                                                                     
 4Communicate any sensitive issues to the Directors                                                                                                                       
 4Oversee the independent Directors’ performance evaluation of the Chairman, in conjunction with the chair of the Compensation and Talent Development Committee           
 4Partner with the Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee and the Chairman in the recruitment and retention of Directors and management            |

#### Role of the Independent Directors
The Board has strong, independent Directors who provide additional independent leadership to the Board and effective oversight of management. The independent Directors are free to raise subjects at a Board meeting that are not on the agenda for that meeting. An executive session, which allows the independent Directors to meet without the Chairman present, is included on the agenda of every regular board meeting.

All of the Board’s six standing committees are comprised solely of independent Directors and independent Directors chair all of these committees. Each Board committee has a designated member of senior management, other than the Chairman, that works with the independent Director that chairs that committee to develop the committee’s agenda for each meeting. The independent Director that chairs each committee reviews and approves the agenda and materials to be covered at the upcoming meeting. The independent Directors are free to raise subjects at a committee meeting that are not on the agenda for that meeting. An executive session is included on the agenda of every regular committee meeting.

The independent Directors evaluate the performance of the Chairman at least annually. The Lead Independent Director, in conjunction with the chair of the Compensation and Talent Development Committee, is responsible for overseeing the evaluation process. Input on the Chairman’s performance is sought from all of the independent Directors. The Lead Independent Director facilitates a robust discussion of the evaluation results with the independent Directors while meeting in executive session. The Lead Independent Director and the chair of the Compensation and Talent Development Committee together discuss the evaluation with the Chairman. The evaluation is used by the Compensation and Talent Development Committee to determine the compensation to be recommended for ratification by the independent Directors.

#### Meetings of Non-Management Directors
An executive session, which allows non-management Directors (our independent Directors) to meet without any members of the Company’s management present, is included on the agenda of each regularly-scheduled Board meeting. These executive sessions promote an open discussion of matters in a manner that is independent of the Chairman. The Lead Independent Director chairs each of these executive sessions.

#### Southern Company2025 Proxy Statement29

#### Governance

#### Board Independence

#### Director Independence Standards
No Director will be