Southern Company, in partnership with Perennial Strategy Group, honored community leaders who have inspired growth and fostered development at the seventh annual Evening of Excellence in Washington, D.C. The prestigious event honoring America's most influential advocates of change was held in conjunction with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 45th Annual Legislative Conference.

"Honoring the goodwill, sacrifice and leadership of those who find ways to take action and enact positive change in their communities is an important part of the Evening of Excellence," said Southern Company Executive Vice President and President of External Affairs Christopher C. Womack. "Southern Company has a long-standing commitment to being citizens in the communities we're privileged to serve, and this event pays tribute to those who embody our highest values and leave a legacy of stewardship."

The 2015 awards reception, on Sept. 18, honored Impact Strategies President and CEO and Team Impact Founder Angela T. Rye and Georgia-Pacific Foundation President and 100 Black Men of America Chairman Curley M. Dossman. The reception also included a special tribute to The Honorable U.W. Clemon, civil rights leader and former Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

"The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has a rich history of advocating for the positive evolution and transformation of our communities, so by choosing to honor influential African-American leaders who have served as trusted mentors and allies to young lives, we continue to celebrate the very essence of the CBCF," said Perennial Strategy Group Founder and CEO Lamell McMorris. "We hope that their stories serve as an inspiration to those who have continued to embrace this event."

Previous Evening of Excellence honorees include: Kenny Leon, Broadway, film, and television director, and Tony Award-Winning Broadway director of "A Raisin in the Sun"; Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Debra L. Lee, chairman and CEO of BET Networks; Dr. Jesse J. Lewis Sr., founder of the Birmingham Times newspaper; Sophia Marnell, owner and president of Alexton, Inc.; Maj. Gen. Nadja West, Two-Star General, U.S. Army Medical Command; actress and education advocate Alfre Woodard; Dr. Norman C. Francis, president of Xavier University, Louisiana; Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr., president of Alabama A&M University; Issa Rae, writer and creator of "The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl"; U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee; musician and activist Dr. Henry Panion III; Dr. Robert M. Franklin Jr., president of Morehouse College; CNN's Suzanne Malveaux; NFL star Warrick Dunn; TV personality and author Judge Glenda Hatchett; philanthropist, entrepreneur, and filmmaker Sheila C. Johnson; Rodney Peete and Holly Robinson Peete, founders of The HollyRod Foundation; radio host Tom Joyner; fitness guru Donna Richardson-Joyner; and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin.