With more than a decade of experience in politics as a former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Republican Jo Bonner is returning to the public sector.
On Friday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that Bonner would be joining her staff as her as Senior Adviser.
“Jo will bring a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics to the office, and I look forward to getting his input as we move into a full term,” Ivey said of the former six-term U.S. Congressman.
For the past year, Bonner served as Interim Executive Director for the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority and prior to that as Vice Chancellor for Economic Development for The University of Alabama System.
Prior to that, Bonner represented Alabama’s First District in the U.S. House of Representatives, being elected to six terms. In Congress, Bonner earned a reputation as a respected and influential voice of reason in both Alabama and Washington, D.C. He was a member of the House Appropriations Committee, where he served on three key subcommittees, as well as the House Ethics Committee. Widely respected on both sides of the aisle, Bonner was selected by House Speaker John Boehner to serve as chairman of the House Ethics Committee in the 112th Congress.
“One of my greatest passions is serving the people of Alabama, and I am honored to once again have the opportunity to do so,” Bonner said. “I appreciate Governor Ivey for asking me to serve as part of her administration and for her confidence in me. I look forward to working with my long-time friend to better Alabama for generations to come.”
Ivey also announced the appointment of Acting Finance Director Kelly Butler as her Finance Director on Friday.
Since August 2018, Butler has served as Acting Director of the Alabama Department of Finance. Butler has more than two decades of experience working with the state’s budgets and more than three decades experience as a fiscal analyst with the state. Prior to being named Acting Finance Director, Butler served as Assistant Finance Director for Fiscal Operations and State Budget Officer.
“Kelly’s experience with our state’s budgets and as a fiscal analyst makes him an unmatched candidate for Finance Director, his dedication and skill will be invaluable as we build Alabama’s budgets over the next four years,” affirmed Ivey.
“It is a true honor to serve the people of Alabama and to be asked to lead the Alabama Department of Finance on a permanent basis,” Butler said of his appointment. “We have made a lot of progress over the past three months, and I look forward to continue working on that progress and improving the services provided by the Department of Finance over the next four years.”
“These two outstanding public servants are great additions to my administration and will work hard for the people of Alabama… I appreciate both of them for agreeing to serve my administration and the people of Alabama,” Ivey added.
Both appointments are effective December 1, 2018.
