VALDOSTA — Audrey King, who has made her mark through community outreach and her work at Georgia Power, is leaving South Georgia. 

The regional director for Georgia Power of Valdosta since 2011, King is moving to Jonesboro to be Georgia Power’s regional director of metro south Atlanta.

The transition from Valdosta to south Atlanta will be effective late July, King said.

“I just love living here, but we continue to look at the needs for our company,” King said. “I’ll be responsible for 265,000 customers on the external side of the business.”

Besides the increase in customers from 115,000 to 265,000, King’s new responsibilities will look a lot like her old duties here in Valdosta.

King said she will support power delivery, sales, customer service and economic development. The economic development part of her job in Valdosta is how she got out and about in the community, from attending events at Valdosta State University and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College to serving on numerous community boards.

“My role is to understand how we partner together with our community partners and leaders and how we can support the community,” King said. “We’re not just interested in selling and moving electricity — we’re also interested in the communities we serve.”

King said she plans to be active in her new community of south Atlanta because that’s just who she is.

Past 2011 when she came to Valdosta, King has been with Georgia Power since 1991 where she started in its Macon office as a customer-service representative.

She worked her way up in Macon before moving to Valdosta. King even spent a brief six months in Statesboro with the company.

King said she couldn’t have done it without the constant support and direction from past and present leaders in the company, which she has held onto in her role as director.

As she transitions into her new position, King plans to help fill the gaps if necessary for the new regional director of Valdosta, Joe Brownlee, Georgia Power area manager for Cherokee County who has also served in various positions in the company.

“We’re going to bring in some new leadership, which is going to be great,” King said. “His name is Joe Brownlee, and he’s coming from Cherokee County. He’s worked in several different areas of the company.”

Just because King is leaving Valdosta, it doesn’t mean it’s for good — she promises she will visit.

She said she will miss it dearly, especially the community partners she grew close with and her church family.

“I thank the community for letting me grow in my career here and all that they’ve done,” King said. “It has been a pleasure, and I look forward to hearing the great things that will continue to happen in Valdosta.”

Katelyn Umholtz is a reporter with the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be contacted at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256.