On Friday, Governor Kay Ivey appointed State Rep. Cynthia Lee Almond (R-Tuscaloosa) to serve as president of the Alabama Public Service Commission, filling the vacancy left by Twinkle Cavanaugh, who stepped down in May to join the Trump administration.

Cavanaugh now serves as Alabama’s State Director for Rural Development in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

“Cynthia has proven to be an extremely effective public servant and leader, and I am confident the people of Alabama will be even better served when she takes the helm at the Public Service Commission,” Governor Ivey said today.

“Since 2021, I have been able to count on Cynthia to get real, meaningful work done in the Legislature, and while I know the people of Tuscaloosa will miss her representation in the State House, every person across this state will now benefit from her leadership on the Public Service Commission.”

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Almond, an attorney and Republican lawmaker representing House District 63 since 2021, will be sworn in as PSC President on June 16.

She plans to resign her legislative seat the day before.

The Public Service Commission regulates utilities across Alabama, including electricity, natural gas and telecommunications. Almond will lead the three-member commission, which sets the foundation of energy and infrastructure policy across the state.

“I am honored to have been asked by Governor Ivey to fill this important position. It is one I accept with great enthusiasm,” State Rep. Cynthia Almond said.  

“I know how important this commission is to the people of Alabama and to the industry sectors it regulates. I believe my training as an attorney and legislator will prove to be helpful in performing this role. I appreciate greatly the confidence shown in me by Governor Ivey, and I will work hard for her and for this great state of Alabama.”

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A native of Tuscaloosa, Almond previously served four terms on the Tuscaloosa City Council and chaired several legislative committees, including the Tuscaloosa County Local Delegation and the Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee. Her legal work has focused on estate planning, business law, and real estate. 

According to the governor’s office, Almond brings a wealth of experience to the Public Service Commission and has a solid track-record of serving the people she represents.

Almond attended Vanderbilt University and is a graduate of both The University of Alabama and University of Alabama School of Law.

She is also a graduate of Leadership Alabama and was co-chair for its West Alabama Regional Council. She serves as a Sunday School teacher at First United Methodist Church and has two children.

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Almond’s appointment follows Cavanaugh’s departure from the PSC, where she served a legendary tenure as president since 2012. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Cavanaugh had been named Alabama’s State Director for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture on May 27. 

Cavanaugh, who left the commission effective June 1, called her time on the PSC “a tremendous honor.”

“I love working for you, and from day one, I took the trust you placed in me seriously. Every decision made, every mile traveled, and every late night was motivated by the desire to fight for the hardworking families in our great state,” Cavanaugh said.

“Together, we brought natural gas to poultry farmers in east Alabama, helping to sustain the agriculture industry which feeds our families. We fought the misguided liberal mandates and burdensome energy policies pushed by both the Obama and Biden Administrations, protecting Alabamians from the devastating fiscal consequences of the far-left Green New Deal agenda,” Cavanaugh said.

Governor Ivey is expected to announce a special election date soon to fill Almond’s soon-to-be vacant House seat.