Newly established Alabama Workforce Board appointed by Governor Ivey

In October 2025, Alabama’s workforce development efforts will be led by a newly appointed Secretary of Workforce. Ahead of that, the Alabama Workforce Council and State Workforce Development Board were combined into the newly established Alabama Workforce Board — which Governor Kay Ivey made appointments to today.

The activation of industry and business leaders through the Alabama Workforce Board and its Executive Committee is a key component of the Alabama Workforce Transformation Act and the broader Working for Alabama package of legislation signed into law earlier this year.

“I am pleased to appoint Jeff Peoples, president & CEO of Alabama Power, to chair the Executive Committee of the Alabama Workforce Board, and to appoint Phil Webb, president & CEO of Webb Concrete, to chair the newly established Alabama Workforce Board. We are stronger together by joining forces with private sector leaders to ensure our workforce needs are prioritized,” Governor Ivey said.

The Executive Committee of the Alabama Workforce Board will provide a strategic vision and plans for all of Alabama’s workforce development programs, including those funded with state and federal sources.

“Activating Alabamians with meaningful career opportunities and providing the necessary training and resources to get them there, helps strengthen our communities,” Jeff Peoples said. “Today, Alabama is taking steps to reorient our state’s workforce development system to better serve people and grow our state. I am pleased to work with Governor Ivey and other state leaders in that effort.”

The Executive Committee will also provide an annual budget recommendation and an annual plan for coordinating Alabama’s workforce development activities with the education and economic development systems. The Alabama Workforce Board also includes one member of the Alabama Senate appointed by the presiding officer of the Senate and one member of the Alabama House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House.

Executive Committee of the Alabama Workforce Board

Jeff Peoples, Chair
Dr. Cathy Randall, Vice-Chair
Dawn Bulgarella
Tom Hand
Phil Webb (Ex-Officio member of Committee as Chair of the Workforce Board)
Lamar Whitaker

Alabama Workforce Board

Phil Webb, Chair
Jimmy Baker
Stanley Batemon
Harolyn Benjamin
William “Bill” Blackman, Jr.
Miranda Bouldin-Frost
Bredgitte Braddock
Nancy Buckner
Jane Elizabeth Burdeshaw
Shelly Chavira
Chris Comstock
Reid Dove
Matthew Dudley
Brandon Glover
Andre Harrison
Harry Hobbs
Ron Houston
Christy Knowles
Julie Kornegay
Dr. Neil Lamb
Richard Landolt
Jon Macklem
Brooks McClendon
Nick Moore
Margaret Morton
Joseph B. Morton
David Niesen
Joe Patton
Stacia Robinson
Kevin Savoy
Chandra Scott
Peggy Sease-Fain
Charisse Stokes
Gordon Stone
Chris Stricklin
David Walters
Lamar Whitaker
Rolf Wrona

Governor Ivey spoke with members of the Executive Committee Monday and expressed her confidence and appreciation in the group she assembled. The appointments are effective October 1, 2024.

“Throughout my tenure as governor, no matter what it is we are trying to accomplish, I ask what we can do today to prepare our state for success in the future. No doubt, ensuring we have an equipped workforce is critical as we look to fill jobs today – and in the future,” said Governor Ivey.

“I am proud to assemble a group of some of our state’s business and industry leaders to work with us as we streamline our workforce development efforts. While we have made progress in increasing our state’s low labor force participation rate, there is still much to accomplish, and we are well on our way to doing that.”

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270