Personnel note: House Speaker Mac McCutcheon hires Mark Tuggle as Chief of Staff

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Mac McCutcheon, Mark Tuggle

Monrovia-Republican, Alabama Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon on Wednesday announced former State Rep. Mark Tuggle of Alexander City will serve as his office’s chief of staff effective immediately.

“As a member of the Alabama House, Mark set himself apart as a leader and proved a valuable source of wise counsel, so I’m pleased to continue utilizing his talents as my chief of staff,” McCutcheon said in a statement.  “Alabama faces many challenges that the Legislature must resolve, and Mark will play a large role in developing and passing needed solutions to those important issues.”

Tuggle said he appreciated the confidence that McCutcheon placed in his abilities and looks forward to continue working with the members of the Alabama House.

“When I decided against seeking another term in the House, I assumed my work in state government had ended, but Speaker McCutcheon convinced me to continue serving the citizens of Alabama in this new role,” Tuggle added.  “As a former member, I’ll be able to advise the new House members with the perspective of someone who has once held the same responsibilities, and I will work with the returning members as someone they already know and trust.”

Out of an overabundance of caution, McCutcheon secured approval from the Alabama Ethics Commission regarding Tuggle’s appointment to his new post.

Tuggle replaces McCutcheon’s outgoing chief of staff Jimmy Entrekin, who became general counsel for the Legislative Services Agency earlier this year.

About Tuggle

Tuggle, who was twice elected to the House District 81 seat, served as chairman of the House State Government Committee and also held a seat on the House Internal Affairs Committee. For the past eight years, he served on the prestigious House Ways and Means Education Committee, which allocates more than $6 billion in education funding to Alabama’s K-12 public schools, community colleges, and public colleges and universities.

A professional forester for more than two decades, Tuggle retired from the Alabama Power Company prior to his House service and later worked as a freelance consultant on forestry and timber matters. He and his wife, Michelle, have one daughter, Dee.