When Jade Scofield returned to her hometown of Rainsville on July 24, she found herself surrounded by former principals, coaches, teachers and old friends.
But this was more than a homecoming. Scofield, deputy chief of staff in the Alabama House Speaker’s Office, was there with Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter and their team to announce the Alabama Career Pathways strategic plan and unveil site plans for the new DeKalb County Career Tech Center.
The announcement followed approximately 10 months of work on a plan designed to strengthen career and technical education across Alabama. For Scofield, a Rainsville native and Plainview High School graduate, seeing that work reach her hometown brought her journey full circle.
“I am committed to working toward making the entire state better, but doing something so impactful for your hometown – that is special,” she said.
Scofield is one of 20 women selected for Yellowhammer News’ 2026 Women of Impact class, which recognizes women whose leadership, service and accomplishments are making a tangible difference in organizations and communities across Alabama. Now in its eighth year, the program celebrates women who are not only succeeding in their fields but also helping shape the state’s future and lifting others along the way.
Taking a chance on Montgomery
Scofield’s path from northeast Alabama to the State House began with a leap of faith and a shared willingness to take a chance.
“To make a long story short, I took a chance on going to work for Nathaniel Ledbetter in Montgomery, and he took a chance on a girl from back home going to work for him,” she said. “And I think we make a pretty good team.”
Scofield joined the Alabama House Republican Caucus in 2017, serving as policy director while Ledbetter was House Majority Leader. When he became Speaker, she moved into her current role as deputy chief of staff in December 2022.
Her responsibilities place her at the center of the work of the Alabama House, where she helps members address challenges, serve their constituents and move policy forward. It is a career she believes is part of a larger plan for her life.
“We say all the time that God will put you exactly where He wants you,” Scofield said. “I truly believe that. I love what I do, and I feel extremely thankful to be in the position I am in.”
Focused on results
Much of Scofield’s work happens outside the public spotlight. Rather than measuring her impact by recognition, she focuses on helping House members succeed and solving problems for the Alabamians they represent.
“In my position, I get the honor of working with all the House members who were elected to their positions,” she said. “I try to focus more on what I am doing every day to help the members be as successful as possible. When the members or their constituents hit roadblocks and I step in to help solve a problem – that’s a good day for all of us.”
After nearly a decade in Montgomery, Scofield has learned that leadership is not always about who is standing in front of the cameras. Sometimes, the people making the greatest difference are the ones steadily doing the work behind the scenes.
“You know, in the almost 10 years I’ve been in Montgomery, it’s become pretty apparent that there are workhorses and there are showhorses,” she said. “We – the Speaker’s team – never slow down. Every day there are new challenges in Alabama that we learn about, which means every day there are new opportunities to make our state better. Some folks like credit, but we like results.”
A servant’s heart
The values Scofield brings to the State House were formed long before she arrived in Montgomery. She was raised by her grandparents, Fred and Pat – better known to those closest to them as Pawpaw and Nana.
“Nana taught me to serve people,” Scofield said. “You’ll never meet a more servant-minded person than her. Pawpaw showed me how to work hard. There was never a day he wasn’t working from sunup to sundown.”
Their examples became the foundation of Scofield’s approach to her family, career and service to Alabama.
“I don’t always get it right, but I try to start each day with a servant’s heart and then go and work my butt off,” she said. “I have them to thank for that.”
Learning to bring people together
Ledbetter has also played a defining role in Scofield’s career. She credits him with giving her an opportunity that changed her life and showing her how strong leaders respond when people disagree.
“I’ll never be able to put into words the impact that Nathaniel Ledbetter has had on my life,” she said. “As a staffer, I get to sit back and watch him maneuver through situations all the time. I’m telling you – his ability to bring people together to find common ground in the most chaotic and frustrating of moments is truly humbling to witness.”
Scofield added that the process occasionally requires more determined methods.
“Now, we have been known to lock a door or two and force the compromise, but that’s a story for another day,” she said. “Working for him has been the greatest opportunity of my life, and I owe him and Mrs. Teresa more than I could ever repay them.”
Ledbetter said Scofield has earned the confidence of lawmakers throughout the Alabama House.
“While she worked for me as House Majority Leader and, now, as Speaker, Jade has earned the trust, respect, and reliance of every member of the Alabama House,” Ledbetter said. “She has a gift for bringing groups and individuals together, finding solutions to complex problems, and making results happen.”
He also described Scofield as someone guided by “her faith, her conscience, and her moral compass” who is willing to choose the harder path when it is the right one.
Learning patience along the way
Scofield is quick to acknowledge that working in government has required her to develop a quality that does not always come naturally: patience.
“I like to work quickly. Government does not,” she said. “So, learning to slow down, let the process work, see how things play out over time – that definitely challenges me.”
She can also laugh at herself as she continues learning.
“I’ve been told a time or two that I’m lacking in patience,” she said. “People also tell me that comes with age. I’ll report back in a few years.”
Scofield relies on a handful of trusted advisers who are willing to speak honestly, offer wise counsel and push her to continue learning how to navigate the political world.
Finding peace at home
Away from the State House, Scofield’s husband, Clay, and their son, Will, keep her grounded. She and Clay both have busy schedules, but she said their family thrives in that pace. They enjoy watching Will play sports, develop friendships and share the family’s commitment to serving others.
Scofield and her husband remain closely connected to northeast Alabama. Returning to DeKalb and Marshall counties to visit family and friends brings them a sense of peace.
“We call it God’s Country,” she said. “There isn’t much that pouring a cup of coffee and sitting on my Nana’s front porch of my childhood home won’t fix.”
Thinking beyond titles
Scofield encourages the next generation of women leaders to look beyond conventional measures of professional success.
“Think bigger than job titles and salaries,” she said. “Those are a big deal, don’t get me wrong. But so many are hyperfixated on those two things.”
Instead, she believes women should seek opportunities to make a lasting difference, even when someone else receives the recognition.
“The sweet spot is finding a position that allows you to create true generational change, where it doesn’t matter who gets the credit,” she said. “It is never ‘work,’ in the traditional sense, when you are putting someone else above yourself.”
Those qualities – service, determination and a willingness to do meaningful work without seeking the credit – are what make Scofield one of Yellowhammer News’ 2026 Women of Impact. Yet when she considers how she hopes to be remembered, she does not point to a policy, position or professional title. She returns to a value that has guided her relationships and her work.
“If I had to narrow it down to one thing, I hope I leave a legacy of loyalty,” Scofield said. “There seems to be so little of it nowadays. If you know me at all, you know that you never have to guess where you stand with me. If you do, well…that probably speaks for itself.”
For the girl from Rainsville who took a chance on Montgomery, the greatest legacy would be knowing that others trusted her to stand beside them when it mattered most.
“There isn’t anything I value more than loyalty,” she said. “I hope one day down the road when folks mention my name they say, ‘I’d get in a foxhole with her any day.’”
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
