Personnel Update: Mike Lewis joins Kay Ivey team
On Friday, Gina Maiola, Governor Kay Ivey’s Communication Director, announced that Mike Lewis would be joining the Governor’s communications team as deputy communications director. “I am excited to share Governor Ivey has appointed Mike Lewis to serve as deputy communications director,” Maioloa said.” We are thrilled to have him add to the strong team we have in the Governor’s Press Office. Many of you already know Mike from his time serving as communications director for the attorney general or his years on the Hill.” Lewis joins Maiola, Charles Murry, Alyssa Turner, and Hal Yeager on Governor Ivey’s Communications team. Lewis previously served as Communications Director for the Alabama Attorney General’s office. Lewis is a graduate of Troy University with a major in journalism. He has held the position of press secretary for former Congressmen Bill Dickinson and Terry Everett. He also served as communications director for Congressman Jo Bonner (R-Mobile) and as a speechwriter and senior policy adviser for Ohio Congressman Mike Turner. He is a native of Alexander City. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Flowers: Jo Bonner inaugurated as president of University of South Alabama
Jo Bonner was officially sworn in as the fourth president of the University of South Alabama on September 23, 2022. The University of South Alabama is the crown jewel and flagship of the Alabama Gulf Coast. It is a sprawling, manicured, beautiful, and functional modern campus. It is currently the third-largest university in the state. Under the leadership of President Jo Bonner, it will grow and prosper to where within the next decade, it will be thought of as one of our premier “Big Three” major flagship universities along with the University of Alabama and Auburn University. Its location as the only major university in the populous metropolitan Mobile/Baldwin growth area of our state, coupled with having the University of South Alabama Medical School and Center on the campus, portends for exponential growth and prosperity for the University of South Alabama. The prosperity of USA is assured by the selection of Josiah R. Bonner, Jr. as President. Over the next decade, he will be thought of in the same terms and same breath as the legendary founding President of USA, Frederick Whiddon, who oversaw the first 35 years of USA. There has never been a more perfect selection to be the leader of a major university in our state than the appointment of Jo Bonner as President of USA. His knowledge of the business, civic, and social community of the Mobile/Baldwin area is unique. Through his decade of service as their congressman, he is an integral part of the Mobile community. He left Congress with the highest regard and admiration. He was so well respected by his congressional colleagues that he was Chairman of the U.S. House Ethics Committee. You can be assured that there is no university president, lobbyist, or board of trustee member who can walk the halls of Congress and bring home the bacon from the limitless federal trough than Josiah Bonner, Jr. You can also rest assured that there is no university president in the state that has the clout and reverence on Goat Hill in Montgomery than Josiah Bonner, Jr. This is a very unique and perfect blend for prosperity and growth for USA. It is well known in political circles that Jo Bonner is Governor Kay Ivey’s closest confidante. He served as her Chief of Staff for four years. Their families go back as friends and relatives in Wilcox County for generations. Jo Bonner’s father, the first Josiah Bonner, was Probate Judge of Wilcox County. Jo is the baby of the family, a good 15 years younger than his brother, Jim, who grew up as friends and in school together with Governor Kay Ivey. Jo’s sister, Judy, and Senator Jeff Sessions were in school together in grades K-12, then Jo came much later. The aforementioned sister, Judy Bonner, was President of the University of Alabama. Never before in Alabama’s history has there been two siblings being presidents of major universities in Alabama. Jo Bonner actually became President of USA in January. The official inaugural event was on September 23. It was a magnificent program. Governor Ivey gave the keynote address. She beamed with pride as she talked about her “little brother” from Wilcox County. Dr. Jack Hawkins, the 30-year Chancellor of the Troy University System, gave a brilliant address. He spoke for all of the university presidents in the state as the Dean of University Presidents. Jo Bonner’s family was recognized, beginning with his sister, President Judy Bonner. His wife, Janee, along with his two outstanding children, son Robin, and daughter Lee, were in attendance. The Inaugural Event was held in the magnificent Mitchell Center. The Mitchell family has been a major benefactor to USA. Mrs. Arlene Mitchell is Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Another Board of Trustees member is Dr. Steve Stokes, a radiology oncologist from Dothan. He and his wife Angela have been generous donors to USA, also. Stokes Hall is the newest dorm on campus. It was truly fitting that Jo Bonner had a throng of political dignitaries attend his Inaugural Event. It was like a political gathering of Who’s Who in Alabama politics visiting on the floor of the Mitchell Center prior to Jo’s inauguration. The list of attendees is too long to enumerate. However, in addition to Governor Ivey was Mac McCutchen, John McMillan, John Merrill, Bobby Singleton, Vivian Figures, Young Boozer, Bill Poole, Twinkle Cavanaugh, Sandy Stimpson, Will and Liz Filmore, Cathy Randall, Gordon and Ellen Stone, Jim Purcell, Victor Gaston, Chip Brown, Margie Wilcox, Alan Baker, and Judge Sarah Stewart, just to name a few. They were all there to honor a man who is revered and respected in Alabama – Josiah “Jo” Bonner. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column is read in over 60 Alabama newspapers. Steve served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: Kay Ivey is Governor again
Governor Kay Ivey’s 2022 reelection victory run has been very impressive. Some of you may be wondering how quickly I have been able to resolve that she has indeed culminated her victorious run when the General Election was held Tuesday, and my column’s published date is Wednesday. It is simply, as I have told you numerous times over the past two decades, winning the Republican Primary for governor in the Heart of Dixie is tantamount to election. The General Election in Alabama is an afterthought. We are a one-party state when it comes to statewide races. Kay Ivey laid to rest the last hope of the Alabama Democrats being able to win a statewide race, especially for governor in my lifetime and probably in yours, when she beat Walt Maddox like a rented mule in 2018. Walt Maddox was the best shot and best mule the Democrats could ever dream up. Maddox is the young, articulate mayor of Tuscaloosa. He has been and had been mayor of the Druid City for a good while. He has been an excellent mayor with an impeccable record. He ran a good well-run, well-financed campaign for governor. He got 40% of the vote. This seems to be the threshold for a Democrat for governor. Therefore, Kay Ivey’s 2022 run may not be as impressive as her 2018 race. Although, this run has been extremely impressive. Probably the reason that 2022 has gone so well is because she ran so well in 2018. She beat a very formidable field four years ago. She beat the popular mayor of Huntsville, Tommy Battle, in the Republican Primary. His credentials and fundraising prowess were equal to Maddox’s, if not better. Having beaten the 2018 thoroughbreds, Battle and Maddox, so thoroughly, made serious candidates not even consider challenging her. In 2022, to compare Lindy Blanchard, Tim James, and Yolanda Flowers to Tommy Battle and Walt Maddox is like comparing Mutt to Jeff. Governor Kay Ivey has done a good job as governor during the four years, 2019-2022, and folks knew that, and they knew her. There also have not been any scandals or controversies. She had garnered one of the finest men and managers in Alabama political history, Congressman Jo Bonner, to be her right arm and Chief of Staff. They together ran a pretty solid ship of state. Most of us who follow Alabama politics felt like Kay was going to only serve one four-year term when she won the 2018 race. She, deep down, may have thought the same thing. Therefore, she governed with the attitude of what is right for the state and not what is right for reelection. When she decided to run, most of us were in agreement that she would win. She would be well-financed, and national polls revealed that she was one of the most popular incumbent governors in the nation. My thoughts were, and I conveyed to you, that the only way Kay Ivey could lose the race was if she beat herself. If she misspoke or did a debate and made a miscue or misstep. She did none of the above. She ran a perfectly scripted, flawless campaign. She campaigned as governor and looked gubernatorial. Most importantly, her campaign TV ads were brilliant. They were folksy with the perfect Alabama flavor. They had her looking good, speaking well, and southern with a grandmotherly appeal. They made her age and demeanor an advantage. She came out of the campaign being better liked than before. Some of her ads came close to being racist when she said, “Folks think we ought to require our schools to teach everyone to speak Spanish. Well, I say, ‘No Way, Jose.’” This prompted ultra-liberal Democrats around the nation to deride her. When Maxine Waters, the liberal Democratic California Congresswoman, criticized her, Kay quipped, “I ought to give Maxine Waters an in-kind contribution proxy for her help in my Alabama Republican Primary campaign.” The big question in the Republican Primary was whether Kay Ivey could win the May 24 Primary without having to go to a June 21 runoff to win. Some doubted that anyone could beat eight opponents without a runoff, especially given that Blanchard and James spent a total of $16 million dollars. She proved them wrong. She beat the field of eight without a runoff and got 54% percent of the vote. My guess is that she got a higher percentage than that on Tuesday. Kay Ivey is Governor, again. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at: www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: Special Alabamians
Under the title “Alabama is a Big Front Porch,” made famous by the legendary Alabama storyteller Kathryn Tucker Wyndham, I will continue to share some personal political stories with you this week. As many of you know, I have been friends with our iconic senior U.S. Senator, Richard Shelby, for close to four decades. History will reveal Senator Shelby as Alabama’s greatest U.S. Senator, and folks, that is saying a mouth full because we have had some great ones. We have had a cadre of great Senators, including Lister Hill, John Sparkman, John Bankhead, and Howell Heflin, along with Shelby. As Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Shelby has brought untold hundreds of millions of dollars home to Alabama. It would take a book or volumes of books to tell the story of Shelby’s prowess at bringing home the bacon to his beloved state. He is completing 36 years in the Senate this year. Two of my favorite Alabamians and loyal friends are former Congressman and now University of South Alabama President, Jo Bonner and one of the finest ladies in the state, Dora James of Opelika. I visit with each of these two friends almost weekly. They graciously read the column and give me feedback. Jo Bonner epitomizes the adage of being a true southern gentleman. He is admired and beloved all over the state, more than he can imagine. Dora James epitomizes a true southern lady. She is admired and revered in Lee County. She is a true philanthropist and modest, kind and genuinely sweet person. About seven years ago, she hosted book signings for me at Auburn University and in Opelika that attracted several hundred folks at each, not because of me but because of her. Speaking of memorable book signing events, the people of Jasper and Walker County hosted a large event at which Congressman Robert Aderholt was gracious enough to travel down from Washington to introduce me. Over the years, I have enjoyed a special closeness and connection to the folks in Jasper/Walker County who read my column in The Daily Mountain Eagle. They have a rich political heritage with the Bankheads, Carl Elliott, Tom Bevill, and others. To show how old I am getting and how long I have been writing this column, it seems that every state senator I know says, “Please do not write something bad about me because my mama reads your column religiously every week and has for decades.” Speaking of books, I had the opportunity to meet and visit with the legendary author of To Kill A Mockingbird, Nelle Harper Lee. Folks in Monroeville, who knew her well from their generation, called her “Nelle.” Even though she had an apartment in New York that she purchased when her book came out in the 1960’s, Nelle Harper Lee lived her entire life in Monroeville. She lived with her sister, Alice, who was a good bit older than Nelle. I am told that Alice was the first female lawyer in Alabama. She was one of the most prominent lawyers in Monroeville and lived to be over 100. Alice and Nelle were neither married. Nelle Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, is one of the five most read and purchased books in history. I am told by Monroeville old timers that it is a total allegory. It is simply a story of Harper Lee growing up in Monroeville. All the characters are real, even Boo Radley. One day a few years ago, Harper Lee sent word to me that she enjoyed and read my column weekly, in the Monroe Journal and would like to meet me. I journeyed to Monroeville, and we exchanged greetings, and she gave me a signed copy of her book. I thanked her and told her that it was bought and read by quite a few more people than mine. She was a person of very few words and renowned for her privacy and reclusiveness. The only thing she said to me, substantively, was, “You are taller than you look like in your picture.” I thanked her for her time and the visit and book. When I got back into my car, I called my older daughter, who is a lawyer in Birmingham, and said, “I know when I die you are going to just pile up my books and throw them away, but there is one you might want to save.” We will continue with more stories next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Fairhope renames post office for former congressman Jack Edwards
Today, Congressman Jerry Carl joined Congressman Bradley Byrne and Congressman Jo Bonner to pay tribute to Congressman William “Jack” Jackson Edwards and dedicate the Fairhope Post Office in his honor. The dedication was held at the post office building in Fairhope. Members of Edwards’ family, legislative leaders, postal officials, and members of the community attended. “Today, I was honored to join two of my mentors – Congressman Bradley Byrne and Congressman Jo Bonner – to honor and pay tribute to Congressman Jack Edwards, who was a friend and mentor to all three of us, by dedicating the Fairhope Post Office in his name,” Carl stated. “Congressman Edwards was a true statesman who devoted his life and his career to the service and betterment of south Alabama. Jack was loved and respected by all who knew him, and his legacy will continue to live on for generations to come,” Carl concluded. Congressman Byrne sponsored H.R. 6418 (Public Law 116-312) to dedicate the Fairhope Post Office Building to Congressman Edwards, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1965 to 1985. The law was approved January 5. Congressman Edwards, who died in 2019, served under five U.S. Presidents from Lyndon Johnson through Ronald Reagan. After retiring from Congress, he returned to Mobile, where he devoted himself to constitutional reform, education, the environment, and economic development.
Steve Flowers: Annual Legislative Session underway
The 2022 annual regular session of the legislature has begun. It began January 11, and constitutionally can last three and one-half months, which would have it ending at the end of April. This is the last year of the quadrennium and an election year. Therefore, the legislature will not address any controversial or substantive issues. This has always been the case in Alabama politics. This rule will ring true this year as it has in past years. They will come into session, pass the budgets, then go home to campaign. They may even adjourn early this year, probably the first part of April. It will be an easy year, budget-wise. The General Fund and Special Education Trust Fund will again have growth in revenue. The economy is still percolating from the COVID recovery, especially because of the influx of federal dollars. Alabama will have received over four billion dollars from the Federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) COVID relief money. Almost half has been earmarked and given to schools, counties, and cities and will not be allocated by the legislature. The state received over $500 million in 2021. Most of that, over $400 million, went to build new prisons, which was the most significant achievement last year. There will be approximately $560 million of ARP money coming into Alabama for this year. The legislature will be able to play Santa Claus in an election year. The General Fund Chairmen, Steve Clouse (R-Ozark) in the House and Greg Albritton (R-Escambia) in the Senate, are being lobbied heavily as might be expected. They will be looking at several ways to disburse these federal dollars. The feds like the states to focus on rural broadband expansion, water and sewage projects, and hospitals and nursing homes. It will be a short and successful and non-controversial session. Governor Ivey will miss her right arm, Jo Bonner. He has served as a quasi-governor for the past three years. Kay Ivey and Jo Bonner have a lifetime bond. They are both from Wilcox County, and like family. This remote rural black belt, southwest Alabama county has spawned Jeff Sessions, Kay Ivey, Judy Bonner, and Jo Bonner. Jeff, Kay, and Judy are all about the same age. Jo is about 15 years younger and like Kay’s little brother. Kay has never not known Jo Bonner. He has been the most influential Chief of Staff to a governor in state history. In November 2021, it was announced that Jo Bonner will become President of the University of South Alabama. He will be the fourth president of the University of South Alabama, which is the third largest university in the state. Jo Bonner is perfect for this position. His decade as a congressman from Mobile and his prowess as an economic developer and civic leader coupled with his winning personality will propel the university in Mobile to a regional educational and medical center for Alabama, Mississippi, and Northwest Florida. He is revered in Washington. His political connections and persona will make the University of South Alabama a politically powerful institution. The governor made a wise and prudent move to fill the void left by Jo Bonner’s departure from the governor’s office. She made her loyal, dedicated, and extremely qualified ally, Liz Filmore, Chief of Staff. Liz had already been functioning as a quasi-Chief of Staff to Ivey and Bonner. A few months ago, Ivey adroitly convinced State Representative Bill Poole of Tuscaloosa to become her finance director. Poole is immensely and uniquely qualified for finance director. He served over a decade in the House of Representatives. Eight of those years he chaired the Education Budget Committee and wrote the State Education budget. He was and still is one of the most universally well-liked and respected legislators in the state. Bill will remain finance director and Liz will be Chief of Staff. They will be part of what Governor Ivey will rely on as her leadership team. The other two members of the four-person team will be Brooks McClendon and Nathan Lindsey, who will be elevated to Deputy Chief of Staff. Governor Ivey along with Jo Bonner has run an exemplary Ship of State administratively. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at: www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: We lost some good ones in 2021
As has been my custom for 18 years, I like for my yearend column to be a remembrance of Alabama political figures who have passed away during the year. We lost some good ones this year. We lost our oldest past governor, John Patterson in June. Governor Patterson passed away at age 99 at his ancestral home in rural Tallapoosa County surrounded by his family. Patterson was Governor from 1959-1963. He defeated George Wallace in the 1958 Governor’s Race, which featured a field of 14 candidates. He is the only man to beat George Wallace in a governor’s race. Patterson was Attorney General of Alabama prior to being elected Governor. He subsequently was appointed to the Court of Criminal Appeals by Wallace and was reelected numerous times and retired as a Judge of the Alabama Court of Appeals. He was a treasure trove of Alabama political history. He was Governor during a turbulent time in Alabama history. Former Alabama Attorney General Jimmy Evans died in February at 81. Evans was a native of Montgomery and was Montgomery County District Attorney prior to being elected Attorney General. Retired Alfa lobbyist Milton Parsons passed away in March at 91. Milton was renowned on Goat Hill as a straight arrow and straight shooter. He was an honest, trustworthy, Christian gentleman. He was Alfa’s chief lobbyist for 50 years. He was a devoted family man and devout Christian. Former Troy mayor, Jimmy Lunsford died in May at 78. He was mayor of Troy for 30 years. Economic development was his forte. He was a tremendous steward of the city’s finances. He left Troy in good shape financially. Former Mobile congressman Sonny Callahan passed away at 88 in late June. He was one of a long line of popular and effective congressmen from the first district. The list includes Frank Boykin, Jack Edwards, Jo Bonner, Bradley Byrne, and Sonny. Congressman Callahan served 10 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to his two decades in Congress, he served in the Alabama House of Representatives and then six years in the State Senate. He was successful in the trucking business in conjunction with his legislative and congressional career. State Representative Thad McClammy of Montgomery passed away at 79 in August. McClammy represented parts of Montgomery County for 27 years. I had the privilege to serve with Thad in the legislature. He was a real gentleman. His word was as good as gold. He had a tremendous turnout for his funeral. State Senator Kirk Hatcher did a fabulous job singing two favorite hymns. Former State Legislator and longtime Geneva County Probate Judge Harold Wise died in August at 96 years old. He lived an amazing and colorful life. He was a loved and respected Geneva County political figure. He was the uncle to Supreme Court Justice Kelli Wise. Kelli adored him. He was her mentor. She says he sparked her love of politics and her desire to have a career in public service. Retired Winston-Marion County Circuit Judge Bobby Aderholt passed away in September at 85. He was a 50-year public servant, as well as lay minister. People say he probably married or buried half the folks in and around Haleyville and that part of Northwest Alabama. There was a tremendous turnout for his funeral. He was revered. State Senator Greg Reed sang at his funeral. Judge Aderholt was the father of our senior congressman, Robert Aderholt who is completing his 25th year in Congress. Former State Senator Jim Preuitt of Talladega died in September at 86. He was also a State Representative and Probate Judge of Talladega County. He was a successful businessman and family man. We lost some good ones this year. Happy New Year! Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama Newspapers. Steve served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Academy of Honor recognizes accomplished Alabamians
The nation’s defense secretary and a pioneering social justice activist are among new members inducted Thursday into the Alabama Academy of Honor. The Academy honors 100 living Alabamians for their accomplishments and service to the state and nation. The ceremony included honorees for 2020 because that year’s ceremony was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 honorees are: Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, former U.S. Congressman Jo Bonner, retired Maj. Gen. J. Gary Cooper, a decorated Vietnam veteran and the first Black officer in the Marine Corps to lead an infantry company into combat. The 2021 honorees are U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Huntsville attorney Julian Butler, retired judge John England Jr., former Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson, Grammy-award-winning recording artist Lionel Richie, and UAB’s Senior Vice President of Medicine Dr. Selwyn Vickers. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: Governor John Patterson’s first lesson
Governor John Patterson, who passed away earlier this year at 99, shared a funny story that occurred during the opening days of his administration. He entered the Governor’s office in January 1959 as the clean government, strict law enforcement governor. He followed Big Jim Folsom’s second administration, which had been less than perfect when it came to favoritism, nepotism, and corruption. Patterson was determined to run a clean ship. On his first day as governor, he called his cabinet in for a pep talk and told them to run their departments aboveboard and free of any semblance of favoritism. He dismissed them and told them to get to work running the state. He turned to his new public safety director, Floyd Mann, and asked him to stay behind. Floyd Mann was a well-respected man in Alabama politics. He had been chief of police in Opelika prior to Patterson appointing him head of the highway patrol. Mann and Patterson were lifelong friends. They had grown up and gone to school together in Tallapoosa County. Patterson looked at his friend and said, “Floyd, under no circumstances are we going to fix any tickets during my administration. Do you understand?” Mann went on his way to his first day as public safety director and supervisor of the highway patrol. That was about 11:00 a.m. About 2:30 in the afternoon, the new governor got a message that he had had a call from senior U.S. Senator Lister Hill. Within 30 minutes, he had a message that Senator John Sparkman had called as well as Congressmen George Andrews and Frank Boykin. He assumed that all our distinguished congressional delegates were calling to wish him well on his first day as governor. When he called these four very powerful Washington solons back, he learned that an equally powerful congressman from Missouri had been detained and indeed arrested in south Alabama. The congressman had been vacationing in Florida with his family and driving back to Missouri when he was caught speeding in Conecuh County. At that time, an out-of-state driver could not sign his own bond in Alabama, so the good congressman had been detained for more than three hours with his family waiting to locate a justice of the peace. The congressman was upset, to say the least. Hill and Sparkman were somewhat tactful with the new governor. They simply suggested that the speeder was a powerful and important member of Congress and that it would be helpful to them if Patterson could help their colleague get back on his way home to Missouri. Frank Boykin was more direct. He informed Patterson that this congressman chaired the committee that oversaw all the appropriations for waterways. He further explained that he and Senators Hill and Sparkman had been working diligently for years to get funding for the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and the project was pending in this congressman’s committee at this time. Governor Patterson called Colonel Mann and said, “Floyd can you come over here a minute?” When Mann arrived in the governor’s office, Patterson told his buddy, “You know, Floyd, when I told you this morning not to fix any tickets? Well, we’ve had a change in policy.” The no-ticket-fixing policy of the Patterson Administration lasted four hours. Mann dispatched a trooper to not only release the congressman but to give him a trooper escort out of the state. Governor Patterson learned a lesson from that experience – never say never. He also should be given some credit for obtaining funding for the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. A similar story was told to me by former congressman, Governor Kay Ivey’s Chief of Staff and recently crowned Chancellor of the University of South Alabama, Jo Bonner. He was a new congressman from Mobile-Baldwin. The district has had some illustrious congressmen, including Frank Boykin, Jack Edwards, Sonny Callahan, and Jo Bonner. Edwards, Callahan, and Bonner were all good friends, and they were headed to the famous annual Frank Boykin gathering in Washington County. It fell to the new congressman, Bonner, to drive. As they were heading back to Mobile, Bonner noticed a blue light in the rearview mirror. Callahan had already told Bonner he was driving too fast. A deputy sheriff pulled them over and looked in the window, and before he asked for Bonner’s driver’s license, he saw Sonny in the backseat and asked, “Sir, aren’t you Congressman Callahan?” Then looked next to Callahan and asked, “Aren’t you Congressman Edwards?” Callahan and Edwards assured the deputy that he was correct. Then they proceeded to tell the deputy that the driver and third member of this trio was a congressman and a new one and that the deputy should give him a ticket. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Kay Ivey names Liz Filmore as chief of staff, first woman to be appointed
Governor Kay Ivey announced that Liz Dowe Filmore will replace Jo Bonner as the governor’s next chief of staff. Filmore, Ivey’s top deputy, will take the positing on December 1, 2021. Bonner served in the Governor’s Office for three years and was tapped to be president of the University of South Alabama last week. Filmore holds two degrees from Troy University, a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a Master’s in Public Administration. She will become the first female chief of staff to any Alabama governor. “Loyalty and integrity are two of the most important qualifications needed to be an effective chief of staff,” Governor Ivey said. “Liz possesses both of these qualities and more. I am proud she has agreed to take on the critical responsibilities that accompany this position.” Political commentator Steve Flowers wrote of Filmore, “She commands the governor’s respect because of her unwavering loyalty and keen political senses.” Bonner, who will remain on Ivey’s staff and transition through the end of the year, said, “I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of really smart, talented young leaders throughout the years, but Liz Filmore is the best of the best. Governor Ivey couldn’t have found a brighter or more dedicated person to lead her team than Liz.”
Governor’s top aide named president at South Alabama
Gov. Kay Ivey’s chief of staff, former U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, was named president of the University of South Alabama on Wednesday over two candidates with more degrees and experience in higher education. Bonner, 61, “is a proven innovator, a skilled administrator and a respected, admired and influential leader in our state,” board pro tem Jimmy Shumock said in a statement announcing Bonner’s selection. “With his leadership, we look forward to the continued elevation of the University of South Alabama’s reputation as a leading academic, research and health care institution,” Shumock said. Bonner, who represented the Mobile area while in Congress, is the younger brother of former University of Alabama President Judy Bonner. Trustees chose him over Damon Andrew, the education dean at Florida State University; and Michael Tidwell, the immediate past president of the University of Texas at Tyler. Bonner was the only candidate without an earned doctoral degree — he has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Alabama — and his resume doesn’t include experience in academic administration, although he served as vice chancellor for economic development of the three-campus University of Alabama System. Bonner, who will become the university’s fourth president, will be formally introduced at a trustee meeting on Dec. 2. By law, the governor appoints members of the university’s board. “Over the coming days and weeks, I look forward to working with the Board members to better understand their timetable and expectations for helping to move the University of South Alabama to the next level. There is obviously a lot of success and momentum on which to build. For today, however, I remain deeply humbled,” he said in a statement. South Alabama had an enrollment of 13,136 students in the spring, according to its website. The university announced then-president Tony Waldrop’s retirement in February. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Governor’s top aide among finalists for USA presidency
The chief of staff of Gov. Kay Ivey, former U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, is among three finalists to become president of the University of South Alabama, the school said Thursday. Bonner, who represented the Mobile area while in Congress, is the younger brother of former University of Alabama President Judy Bonner. Trustees at South Alabama will choose between him; Damon Andrew, the education dean at Florida State University; and Michael Tidwell, the immediate past president of the University of Texas at Tyler. Bonner is the only candidate without an earned doctoral degree, and his resume doesn’t include experience in academic administration, although he served as vice chancellor for economic development of the three-campus University of Alabama System. The chair of the South Alabama board, Jimmy Shumock, said members were “very pleased that our presidency was attractive to so many highly qualified candidates.” Candidates will meet with members of the university community in October before a selection is made. South Alabama had an enrollment of 13,136 students in the spring, according to its website. The university announced then-president Tony Waldrop’s retirement in February. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
