Bill Poole, who concluded a 16-year career in state public office that included five years as Alabama’s finance director last week, is joining Tuscaloosa-based Harrison Construction as Vice President of Finance, Legal and External Affairs.
Poole announced Monday he will also become an Operating Partner with Birmingham-based private equity firm Accelerated Partners and plans to form Poole Growth Strategies, an independent consulting firm focused on fiscal, education and economic development policy.
“I’ve spent the last 16 years working to better Alabama for its citizens by diversifying and expanding our economy, improving the state’s financial position, providing more education and career opportunities and prioritizing innovation,” Poole said.
“My new endeavors aren’t a departure from public service — they’re a transition from serving the state directly to helping grow the private economies and policies that support our communities.”
RELATED: Bill Poole, legend of Alabama state government, departing as finance director
Governor Kay Ivey announced Poole’s exit from the Department of Finance last week.
“As I often say, Alabama’s best days are still ahead, and I know we can look forward to more good work from Bill,” Governor Ivey said.
Harrison Construction
Poole, a two-time graduate of The University of Alabama and a Tuscaloosa-area attorney, represented Harrison Construction through his law office before his public service career began in 2010. His new role encompasses executive management and strategy, including legal matters, finance and capital strategy, government and external relations, and strategic growth opportunities and investments.
“Harrison Construction is a longstanding and highly regarded company,” Poole said. “Joining the Harrison team allows me to use my legal, financial, governmental and executive management experience to help grow the company’s footprint and portfolio.
“I have great respect for Harrison, its leadership, its culture and its growth potential.”
Harrison Construction President Tim Harrison said the company is thrilled to welcome Poole back.
“We are deeply grateful for Bill’s many years of service to our state and community and are pleased to welcome his depth and breadth of expertise to our executive team,” Harrison said. “Bill has been a trusted attorney, advisor, and friend to Harrison Construction for many years. His extensive experience and longstanding relationship with our organization and our many partners make him a natural fit as we continue our commitment to serving our clients, community and state with excellence.”
Harrison Construction was founded in 1996 and is currently licensed in 15 states.
“Over the past three decades, we’ve built a reputation offering our clients quality, on-time work, providing general contracting, design/build, and project management services on a variety of large projects, from healthcare facilities to industrial and office spaces to schools,” Harrison said. “Our core values keep us competitive in the fields of highly technical builds, smart infrastructure, data centers, medical technology and fast-evolving technology-driven sectors.
“Bill’s insights and experience will help us continue to grow our home office in Tuscaloosa as well as our additional office in Mobile and beyond, while remaining focused on our customers’ needs and expectations.”
Accelerated Partners
Poole will also become an Operating Partner with Accelerated Partners, a Birmingham-based private equity firm, working with the AP team to identify and scale Southeast-based private companies.
“We are excited to work closely with Bill and combine his deep expertise and strong network to accelerate AP investments now and moving forward,” said Chris Hussar, General Partner at AP.
Poole Growth Strategies
Poole also announced Monday the planned formation of Poole Growth Strategies, an independent consulting firm.
The firm will allow him to remain engaged on select local, state and national issues, with a focus on board governance and fiduciary strategy, fiscal management, capital formation, public policy, economic development, education policy and reform, innovation and public-private partnerships.
“My years as a business owner, appropriations chairman, chief financial officer and policy thought leader have reinforced for me that sound fiscal stewardship and thoughtful public policy are essential to creating opportunity for Alabamians,” Poole said.
“Through Poole Growth Strategies, I look forward to continuing to engage as a subject-matter expert and working on select projects and issues that are important to Alabama and beyond.”
Basing his new professional endeavors in Tuscaloosa again will allow Poole to spend more time with his wife, Niccole, and their three children, Sally, Brother and Whitt.
16 years in Montgomery
Poole served as the state’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Finance from 2021 until Friday, advising Governor Ivey and the Legislature on state finances and spending decisions and administering the state’s fiscal operations.
In that time, his office prepared state budgets totaling more than $75 billion in state funds.
Poole’s public service career also included more than a decade representing his Tuscaloosa district in the Alabama House of Representatives. He was first elected in the 2010 wave, was appointed to chair the education appropriations committee during his first term, at 38 years old, and chaired the committee for eight years.
During his career in Montgomery, Poole was instrumental in creating Innovate Alabama, a public-private partnership focused on entrepreneurship, small business growth, access to capital, technology and research, and talent recruitment and retention. Innovate Alabama has been nationally recognized and attracted more than $100 million in investments in Alabama-owned businesses.
Poole plans to continue serving as chairman of the Innovate Alabama Board of Directors, subject to future governmental approvals and appointments.
According to Monday’s announcement, other highlights of Poole’s public service career include:
- Stewarding more than $7 billion in public bond financings and strategic debt restructuring, including the historic financing of the Mobile River Bridge;
- Receiving The Bond Buyer’s 2022 Deal of the Year award in the Innovative Financing category for a $1.5 billion Alabama Federal Aid Highway Finance Authority offering;
- Sponsoring and passing the Alabama Incentives Modernization Act of 2019 that modernized and helped shape performance-based economic-development incentive structures recognizing and anticipating future economic trends;
- The crafting and securing passage of 2019’s Rebuild Alabama Act that facilitates road and bridge improvements throughout the state and was critical to the expansion of the state’s port;
- Administering the successful distribution of more than $2 billion in COVID relief funds;
- Collaborating in rebuilding the state’s budgets to record levels and materially improving the state’s credit outlook and the debt-to-revenue ratios;
- Participating in the planning and development work for the new Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences;
- Sponsoring and passing the TEAMS Act, which has been nationally recognized for its focus on addressing the shortages of math and science teachers across Alabama, with a concentration on attracting high-quality math and science teachers to rural and hard-to-staff schools;
- Leading multiple transformative initiatives and investments in education reform, broadband infrastructure and economic development and diversification.
“I don’t view my next chapter as leaving public service so much as changing the way I contribute,” Poole said.
“I spent 16 years serving our state — first in the Legislature and then as the state’s finance director. Now I have an opportunity to take that experience into the private sector and help businesses grow, while continuing to work on the education, economic-development, fiscal and policy issues that affect Alabama.”
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
