Alabama Resiliency Council meets for first time
On Wednesday, the Alabama Resiliency Council met for the first time. The Council was joined at its inaugural meeting by Governor Kay Ivey. “Today, I kicked off the inaugural meeting of the Alabama Resilience Council,” Gov. Ivey said on Twitter. “I established this council to help us better prepare for when disaster strikes so we can preserve lives, protect jobs, and ensure our state’s future remains bright.” As the Council met, our neighbors to the west in Louisiana are fighting wildfires due to a historic drought, and Hurricane Idalia is wreaking havoc on our neighbors to our east, Florida and Georgia. According to the Council’s website, in the last 40 years, more than 1,100 Alabamians have died in disasters. In the last 20 years, Alabama has spent at least half a billion dollars simply to match FEMA funds, and in the last 20 years, Alabamians themselves have spent tens of billions on property damages and losses. Alabama has led the nation in tornado deaths since 1948, when we first started keeping accurate records. The Alabama Resilience Council was created by Gov. Ivey when she signed Executive Order 736. This action is a key part of the Ivey Administration’s effort to make Alabama the most resilient state in the nation by protecting the lives, property, and economic well-being of Alabamians against possible hazards, both natural and man-made. The Alabama Resilience Council will work with local, state, federal, and private partners to help communities build stronger, live safer, and recover quicker. The work of the Council will be aimed at better preparing Alabama’s communities to withstand events that result in harmful societal impacts. The purpose of the Council is “to provide a forum for coordinating activities of state government and for facilitating interactions between state government and the private sector to proactively address harmful impacts on Alabama communities and infrastructure before they occur.” “Protecting the well-being of our people, both physically and financially, should be a top priority shared by leaders at all levels of government,” Ivey said. “Alabama is growing like never before, and it’s imperative we take necessary steps today to preserve our historic progress for tomorrow. By proactively reimagining our approach to events with harmful effects on Alabamians before they occur, we can save lives, protect jobs, and ensure our state’s future remains bright.” “This council presents a great opportunity to bring stakeholders together to explore partnerships and create synergy in our efforts in our state,” said Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director Jeff Smitherman. “It creates a platform to include key players that can significantly increase the strength and resilience of Alabama from harmful societal impacts.” “I want to thank Governor Ivey for her leadership and vision in creating this important Council,” said Alabama Commissioner of Insurance Mark Fowler. “We believe Alabama will set the national standard for preparedness and resilience. The Alabama Resilience Council will be a whole-of-government response, with the input of private industry, aimed at making that a reality.” The Alabama Resilience Council coordinates the numerous multi-disciplinary local, state, federal, and private partners in setting priorities, leveraging resources, communicating effectively, and delivering measurable results to shape a supple and vibrant future. Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director Jeff Smitherman and Alabama Department of Insurance Commissioner Mark Fowler will serve as co-chairs of the Council. Permanent Members of the council include: · The Alabama Emergency Management Agency · The Alabama Department of Insurance · The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries · The Alabama Department of Commerce · The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources · The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs · The Alabama Department of Environmental Management · The Alabama Department of Public Health · The Alabama Department of Transportation · The Alabama Forestry Commission · The Alabama Geological Survey · The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency · The Alabama National Guard · The Alabama Office of Information Technology Sixteen other local, state, federal, and private partners will be invited to appoint a representative to the Council. Gov. Ivey has sent two Alabama National Guard Black Hawk helicopters and a Chinook to help the Governor of Louisiana combat the wildfires there. The Governor’s office is reportedly consulting with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on how Alabama might be of assistance to the people of Florida. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Gov. Kay Ivey establishes the Alabama Resilience Council by executive order
Governor Kay Ivey on Friday signed Executive Order 736, establishing the Alabama Resilience Council. Ivey said in a press release that this action is a key part of the Administration’s plan to make Alabama the most resilient state in the nation by protecting the lives, property, and economic well-being of Alabamians against possible hazards, both natural and man-made. “Protecting the well-being of our people, both physically and financially, should be a top priority shared by leaders at all levels of government,” said Gov. Ivey. “Alabama is growing like never before, and it’s imperative we take necessary steps today to preserve our historic progress for tomorrow. By proactively reimagining our approach to events with harmful effects on Alabamians before they occur, we can save lives, protect jobs and ensure our state’s future remains bright.” The Alabama Resilience Council will work with local, state, federal and private partners to help communities build stronger, live safer and recover quicker. The work of the Council will be aimed at better preparing Alabama’s communities to withstand events that result in harmful societal impacts. Ivey says that by including stakeholders with different perspectives from the public and private sectors, the Council aims to create a holistic approach to mitigation and resilience efforts. Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director Jeff Smitherman and Alabama Department of Insurance Commissioner Mark Fowler will serve as co-chairs for the Council. “This council presents a great opportunity to bring stakeholders together to explore partnerships and create synergy in our efforts in our state,” said Smitherman. “It creates a platform to include key players that can significantly increase the strength and resilience of Alabama at all levels.” “I want to thank Governor Ivey for her leadership and vision in creating this important Council. We believe Alabama will set the national standard for preparedness and resilience,” said Commissioner Fowler. “The Alabama Resilience Council will be a whole-of-government response, with the input of private industry, aimed at making that a reality.” The heads of the following agencies will be permanent members of the Council: · The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries · The Alabama Department of Commerce · The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources · The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs · The Alabama Department of Environmental Management · The Alabama Department of Public Health · The Alabama Department of Transportation · The Alabama Forestry Commission · The Alabama Geological Survey · The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency · The Alabama National Guard · The Alabama Office of Information Technology Other local, state, federal and private partners invited to appoint a representative to the Council include: · The Alabama Association of Regional Councils · The Alabama Indian Affairs Commission · The Alabama League of Municipalities · The Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee · The Association of County Commissions of Alabama · The Business Council of Alabama · The Economic Development Administration · The Energy Institute of Alabama · The Federal Emergency Management Agency · Manufacture Alabama · The National Federation of Independent Business · The Small Business Administration · The United States Army Corps of Engineers · The United States Forest Service · The University of Alabama Center for Risk and Insurance Research · The National Weather Service Lars Powell is the director of the University of Alabama Center for Insurance Information and Research. “I am excited to be a part of this effort to maximize the physical and economic resilience of Alabama,” said Powell. “Governor Ivey has always shown the safety and security of Alabamians to be her top priority, and the creation of the Alabama Resilience Council is further evidence of that commitment. Significant opportunities exist to increase the resilience of Alabama, and I am honored by the confidence Governor Ivey shows in the Center to contribute its talents in assessing disaster risk-reduction alternatives.” Gov. Ivey has led the state since 2017. Over the last 40 years, more than 1,100 Alabamians have been killed in natural disasters. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama Department of Insurance Commissioner Jim Ridling to retire
Gov. Kay Ivey announced that Alabama Department of Insurance Commissioner Jim Ridling will retire at the end of the month after nearly 14 years in the position. Ridling is Alabama’s longest-serving insurance commissioner and is also the longest-serving appointed commissioner in the country. Ivey has named Alabama Department of Insurance Deputy Commissioner Mark Fowler as acting commissioner. Fowler’s appointment is effective July 1, 2022. “As Alabama’s longest-serving insurance commissioner, Jim has kept stability in the agency, all while bringing fresh ideas to ensure our state was offering our people the best, whether that be in times of natural disaster or simply in our day-to-day lives,” stated Ivey. “I am truly grateful Jim dedicated so many years to the state of Alabama and wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.” Ridling kept Alabama actively involved in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), even serving as chairman of the Southeast Zone for 10 years. During his tenure, Ridling has led the Alabama Department of Insurance to be reaccredited by the NAIC three times, most recently in April 2022. “Jim has also been a consistent and tireless advocate for home fortification and statewide resiliency in times of disaster,” added Governor Ivey. Ridling established the Strengthen Alabama Homes (SAH) program to provide grants of up to $10,000 to Alabama residents for home fortification. By the end of this year, the program should reach 5,000 homes fortified, making Alabama the number one state in the nation for the most residential homes fortified to IBHS standards. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety named Ridling the recipient of its inaugural Lifetime Achievement in Resilience award just last month in recognition of his long-time efforts and achievements in establishing Alabama as the nation’s leader in resilient construction. Ridling also created the Insurance Fraud Bureau within the Alabama Department of Insurance dedicated to investigating allegations of criminal insurance fraud and a cyber-security center to protect Alabamians from cybercriminals. He also effectively recruited more than a dozen new property insurance companies to serve Alabama’s coastal communities. “I am deeply blessed to have had the wonderful experience of serving the people of Alabama as Commissioner of Insurance. I am especially appreciative of Governor Kay Ivey for her leadership and all she has done for the people of our great state,” said Commissioner Ridling. “Serving in her administration has been an honor and a pleasure. I also appreciate, so much, the work of the dedicated and professional state employees who staff the Department of Insurance. They are amazing! We have done some great things together, and I know we will all be able to look back on these years with pride.”
