{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"163474","rtpr_id":"nPn89Cbwva-20261007","ticker":"SO","exchange":"NYSE","all_tickers":["SO"],"title":"Southern Linc public sector account manager Leslie Benton named to Alabama 9-1-1 Board","author":"PR Newswire","published_at":"2026-10-07T18:00:01.907Z","article_body":"Southern Linc public sector account manager Leslie Benton named to Alabama 9-1-1 Board\nPR Newswire\n\nATLANTA, Oct. 7, 2026\n\nBenton brings more than 30 years of wireless experience and deep knowledge of\nAlabama's emergency communications community to the board.\n\nATLANTA, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Linc, a subsidiary of Southern\nCompany (NYSE: SO), announced that Alabama public sector account manager\nLeslie Benton was named to the Alabama 9-1-1 Board. The organization is\nAlabama's primary fiscal and technology agent for 9-1-1 and partners with\nlocal emergency communication districts. It administers a statewide 9-1-1 fee\nand a 9-1-1 voice and data system that uses emerging technologies.\n\n\"Leslie's extensive wireless expertise and her clear understanding of the\ncommunications needs of public safety agencies across Alabama make her a great\naddition to the 9-1-1 Board,\" said Bentina Terry, president and CEO of\nSouthern Linc. \"Her insight into the public safety community, strong technical\nknowledge and genuine dedication to service will be a tremendous asset to the\nboard and the communities it serves across Alabama.\"\n\nWith decades of wireless industry experience, Benton has a strong record of\nhelping state and local government organizations identify and implement\ncommunications solutions. She leads a team of sales professionals across\nAlabama who develop wireless solutions for government customers. Her\nexperience includes extensive work with the 9-1-1 community. She is a member\nof the National Emergency Number Association and APCO International, an\norganization serving public safety communications professionals.\n\nDuring her Southern Linc career, Benton has received the company's Manager of\nthe Year, Top Sales Producer and Best of the Best awards multiple times. She\nis also a longtime supporter of the Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches and has\norganized golf tournaments benefiting the organization for 28 years.\n\nAbout Southern Linc\nSouthern Linc is a wireless communications company wholly owned by Southern\nCompany. Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9\nmillion customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of\ncompanies. The company has electric operating companies in three states,\nnatural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation\ncompany, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national\ncapabilities, a fiber optics network, and telecommunications services.\nSouthern Linc provides highly reliable, highly secure wireless voice and data\nservices via their CriticalLinc™ LTE network to Southern Company\nsubsidiaries, including its electric and gas utilities, as well as to a wide\nrange of businesses and public sector agencies across Alabama, Georgia, and\nsoutheastern Mississippi. The CriticalLinc network provides over-the-air\nencryption from devices to towers and supports encryption from towers to the\nnetwork's core data centers. This mission-critical network conveys a highly\nreliable suite of services that can support the most critical business\nprocesses. To learn more, visit www.southernlinc.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4791192-1&h=3282665636&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.southernlinc.com%2F&a=www.southernlinc.com)\n.\n\nView original content to download\nmultimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southern-linc-public-sector-account-manager-leslie-benton-named-to-alabama-9-1-1-board-302901456.html\n(https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southern-linc-public-sector-account-manager-leslie-benton-named-to-alabama-9-1-1-board-302901456.html)\n\nSOURCE Southern Linc\n\n\n\nLynda Swaney, lswaney@southernco.com\n\nPhoto: \nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS2003728/leslie-benton-2026.jpg?id=OA2990991\nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS2003701/southern_linc.jpg?id=OA2992822\n\nCopyright (c) 2026 PR Newswire Association,LLC. All Rights Reserved.","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nPn89Cbwva-20261007","title":"Southern Linc public sector account manager Leslie Benton named to Alabama 9-1-1 Board","author":"PR Newswire","ticker":"SO","created":"2026-10-07T18:00:01.907Z","tickers":["SO"],"exchange":"NYSE","article_body":"Southern Linc public sector account manager Leslie Benton named to Alabama 9-1-1 Board\nPR Newswire\n\nATLANTA, Oct. 7, 2026\n\nBenton brings more than 30 years of wireless experience and deep knowledge of\nAlabama's emergency communications community to the board.\n\nATLANTA, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Linc, a subsidiary of Southern\nCompany (NYSE: SO), announced that Alabama public sector account manager\nLeslie Benton was named to the Alabama 9-1-1 Board. The organization is\nAlabama's primary fiscal and technology agent for 9-1-1 and partners with\nlocal emergency communication districts. It administers a statewide 9-1-1 fee\nand a 9-1-1 voice and data system that uses emerging technologies.\n\n\"Leslie's extensive wireless expertise and her clear understanding of the\ncommunications needs of public safety agencies across Alabama make her a great\naddition to the 9-1-1 Board,\" said Bentina Terry, president and CEO of\nSouthern Linc. \"Her insight into the public safety community, strong technical\nknowledge and genuine dedication to service will be a tremendous asset to the\nboard and the communities it serves across Alabama.\"\n\nWith decades of wireless industry experience, Benton has a strong record of\nhelping state and local government organizations identify and implement\ncommunications solutions. She leads a team of sales professionals across\nAlabama who develop wireless solutions for government customers. Her\nexperience includes extensive work with the 9-1-1 community. She is a member\nof the National Emergency Number Association and APCO International, an\norganization serving public safety communications professionals.\n\nDuring her Southern Linc career, Benton has received the company's Manager of\nthe Year, Top Sales Producer and Best of the Best awards multiple times. She\nis also a longtime supporter of the Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches and has\norganized golf tournaments benefiting the organization for 28 years.\n\nAbout Southern Linc\nSouthern Linc is a wireless communications company wholly owned by Southern\nCompany. Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9\nmillion customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of\ncompanies. The company has electric operating companies in three states,\nnatural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation\ncompany, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national\ncapabilities, a fiber optics network, and telecommunications services.\nSouthern Linc provides highly reliable, highly secure wireless voice and data\nservices via their CriticalLinc™ LTE network to Southern Company\nsubsidiaries, including its electric and gas utilities, as well as to a wide\nrange of businesses and public sector agencies across Alabama, Georgia, and\nsoutheastern Mississippi. The CriticalLinc network provides over-the-air\nencryption from devices to towers and supports encryption from towers to the\nnetwork's core data centers. This mission-critical network conveys a highly\nreliable suite of services that can support the most critical business\nprocesses. To learn more, visit www.southernlinc.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4791192-1&h=3282665636&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.southernlinc.com%2F&a=www.southernlinc.com)\n.\n\nView original content to download\nmultimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southern-linc-public-sector-account-manager-leslie-benton-named-to-alabama-9-1-1-board-302901456.html\n(https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southern-linc-public-sector-account-manager-leslie-benton-named-to-alabama-9-1-1-board-302901456.html)\n\nSOURCE Southern Linc\n\n\n\nLynda Swaney, lswaney@southernco.com\n\nPhoto: \nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS2003728/leslie-benton-2026.jpg?id=OA2990991\nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS2003701/southern_linc.jpg?id=OA2992822\n\nCopyright (c) 2026 PR Newswire Association,LLC. All Rights Reserved."},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-10-07T18:00:01.961235781Z","server_sent_at_ms":1791396001961},"received_at":"2026-10-07T18:00:02.015Z","source_url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southern-linc-public-sector-account-manager-leslie-benton-named-to-alabama-9-1-1-board-302901456.html"},"analysis":{"id":"151924","press_release_id":"163474","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Electric Utilities","sector":"Utilities"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"board_change","narrative":"Southern Linc, a wholly owned wireless subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), announced that public sector account manager Leslie Benton was named to the Alabama 9-1-1 Board.\n\nBenton brings more than 30 years of wireless experience and leads a sales team serving government customers across Alabama.\n\nThe news is a community-recognition item with no bearing on Southern Company's financials or operations; the CriticalLinc LTE network business remains unchanged.","sentiment":"neutral","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"Routine subsidiary employee recognition -- suppress for trading purposes."},"keyFigures":{"customDimensions":{"benton_wireless_experience_years":"more than 30 years"}},"quotedText":"Leslie's extensive wireless expertise and her clear understanding of the communications needs of public safety agencies across Alabama make her a great addition to the 9-1-1 Board","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Leslie Benton","role":"Southern Linc public sector account manager, newly named Alabama 9-1-1 Board member"},{"name":"Bentina Terry","role":"President and CEO of Southern Linc"}],"products":["CriticalLinc"],"companies":[{"name":"Southern Linc","ticker":"SO","relationship":"wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company"},{"name":"Southern Company","ticker":"SO","relationship":"parent/filer"},{"name":"Alabama 9-1-1 Board","relationship":"board appointment"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"materialImpact":{"score":1,"reasoning":"A Southern Linc (unlisted subsidiary) account manager was named to a state 9-1-1 board. This is a goodwill/community-recognition item with no financial or operational impact on Southern Company."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[],"primary":"SO"},"globalImportance":5,"audienceRelevance":3,"eventTypeSecondary":[],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"large-cap-utility","eventGravity":"employee-recognition-at-subsidiary","financialImpact":"none","subsidiaryEvent":true}},"event_type":"board_change","event_type_secondary":null,"sentiment":"neutral","material_impact_score":1,"narrative":"Southern Linc, a wholly owned wireless subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), announced that public sector account manager Leslie Benton was named to the Alabama 9-1-1 Board.\n\nBenton brings more than 30 years of wireless experience and leads a sales team serving government customers across Alabama.\n\nThe news is a community-recognition item with no bearing on Southern Company's financials or operations; the CriticalLinc LTE network business remains unchanged.","key_figures":{"customDimensions":{"benton_wireless_experience_years":"more than 30 years"}},"named_entities":{"people":[{"name":"Leslie Benton","role":"Southern Linc public sector account manager, newly named Alabama 9-1-1 Board member"},{"name":"Bentina Terry","role":"President and CEO of Southern Linc"}],"products":["CriticalLinc"],"companies":[{"name":"Southern Linc","ticker":"SO","relationship":"wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company"},{"name":"Southern Company","ticker":"SO","relationship":"parent/filer"},{"name":"Alabama 9-1-1 Board","relationship":"board appointment"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"model_name":"glm-5.3-flashx","prompt_hash":"sha256:5c812bd9e28b810d","schema_hash":"sha256:05005c02d9cffac9","created_at":"2026-10-07T18:00:06.890Z","global_importance":5,"audience_relevance":3,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"large-cap-utility","eventGravity":"employee-recognition-at-subsidiary","financialImpact":"none","subsidiaryEvent":true}},"durationMs":4841,"modelName":"glm-5.3-flashx"}}