The University of West Georgia will close another record-breaking fall semester with commencement ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 15. This fall, enrollment topped 13,733 – a record for the university.

President Kyle Marrero will confer approximately 608 undergraduate degrees and 249 graduate degrees at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The morning ceremony will celebrate graduates from the College of Education, the Richards College of Business and the Tanner Health System School of Nursing, while the afternoon ceremony will celebrate graduates from the College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Science and Mathematics, and the College of Social Sciences.

Bentina C. Terry, senior vice president of the Northwest Region of Georgia Power, will address students in both ceremonies.

Terry is responsible for the company’s operations, sales, customer service, economic and community development, and external affairs activities for 1.4 million customers across metro Atlanta and the northwest corner of Georgia.

Serving on the board of directors for the Midtown Alliance, Posse Foundation, Atlanta Police Foundation, the Atlanta Beltline Foundation and the Atlanta Women’s Foundation, Terry also finds time to serve on the advisory council for the BB&T Open. In addition, she has been named one of Atlanta Business League’s 100 Most Influential Women.

A native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, Terry holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in English from North Carolina State University.

As a member of the North Carolina State Bar and the Georgia State Bar, Leadership Atlanta, Leadership North Carolina, Leadership Florida and the International Women’s Forum, Terry has received numerous awards and recognitions, including being named one of Influence Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Florida Politics.

Terry has had a diverse career with Southern Company, beginning in 2001 at Georgia Power. She has also worked at Gulf Power and Southern Nuclear Operating Company, all Southern Company subsidiaries. Actively involved in her community, Terry feels fortunate to work for a company who has a passion for the people it serves.