Senator Tuberville releases list of in-state office locations, staffers

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) this week announced 14 appointments to his Alabama state staff, as well as the five physical office locations from which they will serve the people of Alabama.

The freshman senator’s in-state team will be located across the Yellowhammer State and includes regional directors, caseworkers and subject matter experts on diverse issues important to Alabamians.

Tuberville previously announced the hire of Jordan Doufexis as senior advisor and state team coordinator. Doufexis leads and oversees the day-to-day operations of the senator’s in-state team.

“I want Alabamians to know that no matter where you live my state staff is close by and ready to assist with any questions, issues, or concerns facing the people of Alabama,” stated Tuberville.

“It was incredibly important to assemble a robust, knowledgeable team with strong Alabama roots, and I am confident the team constructed we have will serve the people of Alabama well. My team understands that the government works for the people, not the other way around,” he added. “We’re here to help.”

A release from Tuberville’s office advised that constituents with casework concerns should direct all calls to the Montgomery office at this time.

The following information was provided about Tuberville’s state team and office locations:

Montgomery Office:
Frank M Johnson Jr. Annex
One Church Street, Suite 500-B
Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: 334-523-7424

Jordan Mills will serve as Auburn Regional Director. Mills was born and raised in Montgomery, AL. After high school he received a scholarship to play baseball at Lurleen B Wallace in Andalusia, AL. After finishing his career at LBW Jordan attended Troy University at Montgomery. Jordan found a passion for entrepreneurship at the age of 21 when he helped start the first of 3 businesses. He now lives in Auburn, AL. with his wife Riki of 16 years and their 3 children.

Cindy Pate will serve as Montgomery Regional Director. Pate is a native Alabamian with fourteen years of experience serving as a state staffer for three previous members of the U.S. Congress. Most recently, she worked in Montgomery as a Field Representative for U.S. Representative Martha Roby. Prior to her service with Rep. Roby, she served as a Caseworker for U.S. Representative Spencer Bachus and as a Caseworker and Agricultural State Representative for U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions. Pate is a graduate of Samford University. She has two sons and a daughter-in-law.

Zandra Wilson will serve as Montgomery Constituent Services. Wilson is a native of Montgomery, Alabama where she attended Auburn University at Montgomery obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Justice and Public Safety/Judicial Administration. As a veteran Congressional Constituent Service Representative/Caseworker, she has served as a liaison monitoring federal, district, and local agency matters for U.S. Senators Sessions, Strange and Jones while advocating for the constituency within the Middle District of Alabama. Wilson has served as a U.S. Senate staff member for over 25 years. She is the mother of one son.

Huntsville Office:
2101 Clinton Ave W, Suite 300
Huntsville, AL 35805
Phone: to be announced

Gwen Shelton will serve as Huntsville Regional Director. Shelton has spent over eighteen years in elected office, culminating as the first female Mayor and Economic Development Director of Fayetteville, Tennessee. Gwen and her husband Scott are the proud parents of active-duty Army Aviator sons, Captain Nevada Shelton and 1st Lieutenant Cooper Shelton. A resident of Huntsville, she enjoys running marathons internationally, her favorite being The Great Wall marathon in China.

Shanderla Dionne McMillian will serve as the Huntsville Constituent Services. McMillian is a native of Troy, Alabama with 22 years of service as a staff member for three United States Senators. A graduate from Auburn University at Montgomery, she has supported 17 counties in the northern Alabama region as a caseworker for Senator Jeff Sessions, as field representative and caseworker for Senator Luther Strange, and as caseworker and service academy coordinator for Senator Doug Jones. McMillian currently lives in Madison County with her husband Louis C. McMullian, Jr. She is the proud mom to two sons.

Col. Brian Naugher will serve as Senior Defense Liaison. Colonel (Retired) Brian Naugher is a 34-year veteran of the Alabama National Guard with two deployments supporting the Global War on Terrorism. During his service he held several Command and key staff positions. His culminating assignments were the Commander of the 226th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade / Joint task Force Tarpon and the Support Plans and Operations Officer for the 167th Theater Sustainment Command supporting Army North. In his civilian capacity he worked at Caelum Research Corporation as the Assistant Vice President of Department of Defense growth. He also held numerous positions while working in the healthcare information technology field during his tenure at The SSI Group. Naugher is a native of Opelika Alabama and currently resides in Guntersville.

Hoover Office:
Galleria Tower
3000 River Chase, Suite 915
Hoover, AL 35244
Phone: to be announced

Terri Connell will serve as the Hoover Regional Director. Connell is a native of Alabama with 36 years experience in Health Care Management and Governmental Affairs. A graduate of Auburn University, Terri is a member of various state and local boards, including Alabama’s Statewide Health Coordinating Council where she was appointed by Governor Kay Ivey in 2017. Connell has served as the CEO of various healthcare entities and has extensive experience working with Alabama state legislators. She lives in Clanton with her husband John Wade Connell, son John Patrick Connell, and Daughter-in-law Courtney George Connell.

Deanna Frankowski will serve as the Hoover Constituent Services. Frankowski has been extensively involved in local, state, and federal campaigns and conservative grassroots causes for 25 years. A resident of Alabama since 1985, she currently serves as Secretary of the Jefferson County GOP Executive and Steering Committees and is active in various local organizations. Frankowski lives in Leeds, Alabama with her 3 dogs Foster, Margi and Mandy. She enjoys outdoor activities, home improvement, and is a member of St. Theresa Catholic Church.

Gil Hanahan will serve as the state Healthcare Liaison. Hanahan spearheaded the first graduate medical education program at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Alabama. He received his Bachelor’s Degree with distinction from Auburn University in Health Services Administration with a minor in Business and also received his Master’s of Science Degree in Health Administration from UAB.

Dothan Office:
U.S. Courthouse
100 West Troy Street, Suite 302
Dothan, AL 36303
Phone: 334-547-7441

John Ferguson will serve as Dothan Regional Director. A native of Dothan, Ferguson has been an elected member of the Dothan City Commission since 2013, and is currently serving as the commission’s appointment to the Southeast Wiregrass Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. A graduate of Rehobeth High School and the University of Alabama, Birmingham’s School of Industrial Distribution, he is an active member of the Dothan community having served on the Board of Directors of the Southeast Alabama Child Advocacy Center; Board of Directors for the Wiregrass Auburn Club; and is a past member of the Dothan Planning Commission and the Advisory Board of the Dothan Technology Center. Ferguson and his wife Tina Grantham Ferguson have two children and are active members of the Ridgecrest Baptist Church.

Mobile Office:
BB&T Centre
41 West I-65, Service Road North, Suite 2300-A
Mobile, AL 36608
Phone: to be announced

Andrew Hinkebein will serve as Mobile Regional Director. Hinkebein served almost seven years with Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker’s southern regional office, where he oversaw all operations and constituent services. Hinkebein specialized in economic development, defense and space initiatives and supported southern Mississippi assets including ports, airports, shipbuilders and military installations. Hinkebein has also served on former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant’s Ocean Task Force and Defense Initiative Task Force and was the Director of Government Relations for the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.

Annette Stokes will serve as Mobile Constituent Services. A native of Mobile and graduate of South Alabama, Stokes joins Senator Tuberville’s team after 17 years as a caseworker in Georgia for Senators Saxby Chambliss and David Perdue.

Patty Etheridge will serve as State Projects and Grants Coordinator. In this role, Etheridge will promote economic growth and community development efforts around the state. A resident of Foley for over a decade, Etheridge is an experienced campaign staffer, having served as Baldwin County Coordinator for Senator Tuberville’s campaign.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn