Alabama Power CEO Jeff Peoples as chair of the Executive Committee of the Alabama Workforce Board

On Tuesday Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) appointed Alabama Power Company CEO Jeff Peoples as Chairman of the executive committee of the newly established Alabama Workforce Board. She also appointed Phil Webb, the President & CEO of Webb Concrete, as the chair the newly established Alabama Workforce Board.

The Alabama Workforce Transformation Act was passed during the last legislative session in order to improve the quality of the Alabama workforce, lure more Alabamians into the workforce, and help improve the transition of Alabama students from the classroom into the workforce. Alabama at 57.4% has one of the lowest workforce participation rates in the country.

The Ivey Administration, empowered by the Alabama Workforce Transformation Act, is merging Alabama's two existing state workforce boards, the Alabama Workforce Council and the State Workforce Development Board, to form the Alabama Workforce Board, and is creating the Executive Committee of the Alabama Workforce Board. The Board and its Executive Committee will place members of business and industry at the forefront of decisions related to Alabama's public workforce.

"Throughout my tenure as governor, no matter what it is we are trying to accomplish, I ask what we can do today to prepare our state for success in the future," said Ivey. "No doubt, ensuring we have an equipped workforce is critical as we look to fill jobs today – and in the future. I am proud to assemble a group of some of our state's business and industry leaders to work with us as we streamline our workforce development efforts. While we have made progress in increasing our state's low labor force participation rate, there is still much to accomplish, and we are well on our way to doing that."

"I am pleased to appoint Jeff Peoples, president & CEO of Alabama Power, to chair the Executive Committee of the Alabama Workforce Board, and to appoint Phil Webb, president & CEO of Webb Concrete, to chair the newly established Alabama Workforce Board," said Ivey. "We are stronger together by joining forces with private sector leaders to ensure our workforce needs are prioritized."

"Activating Alabamians with meaningful career opportunities and providing the necessary training and resources to get them there, helps strengthen our communities," said Peoples. "Today, Alabama is taking steps to reorient our state's workforce development system to better serve people and grow our state. I am pleased to work with Governor Ivey and other state leaders in that effort."

"Greater industry engagement will reinforce our focus on workforce results, creating a more effective utilization of the state's resources and improved prospects for those served by the workforce development system," said Webb. "I am excited to participate in this newly streamlined approach to talent development in our Sweet Home Alabama."

The Executive Committee of the Alabama Workforce Board is tasked with providing a strategic vision and plans for all of Alabama's workforce development programs, including those funded with state and federal sources. The Executive Committee will also provide an annual budget recommendation and an annual plan for coordinating Alabama's workforce development activities with the education and economic development systems.

Executive Committee of the Alabama Workforce Board

Jeff Peoples, Chair

Dr. Cathy Randall, Vice-Chair

Dawn Bulgarella

Tom Hand

Phil Webb (Ex-Officio member of Committee as Chair of the Workforce Board)

Lamar Whitaker

Alabama Workforce Board

Phil Webb, Chair

Jimmy Baker

Stanley Batemon

Harolyn Benjamin

William "Bill" Blackman, Jr.

Miranda Bouldin-Frost

Bredgitte Braddock

Nancy Buckner

Jane Elizabeth Burdeshaw

Shelly Chavira

Chris Comstock

Reid Dove

Matthew Dudley

Brandon Glover

Andre Harrison

Harry Hobbs

Ron Houston

Christy Knowles

Julie Kornegay

Dr. Neil Lamb

Richard Landolt

Jon Macklem

Brooks McClendon

Nick Moore

Margaret Morton

Joseph B. Morton

David Niesen

Joe Patton

Stacia Robinson

Kevin Savoy

Chandra Scott

Peggy Sease-Fain

Charisse Stokes

Gordon Stone

Chris Stricklin

David Walters

Lamar Whitaker

Rolf Wrona

The Alabama Workforce Board also includes one member of the Alabama Senate appointed by the presiding officer of the Senate and one member of the Alabama House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House.

The Alabama Workforce Board complies with the requirements of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Creating the Alabama Workforce Board will help to increase Alabama's labor force participation rate, a priority for Governor Ivey, by more efficiently using state and federal workforce training funds.

Beginning in October 2025, the agency will be led by an Ivey cabinet secretary, the Secretary of Workforce. During this transition, the Governor's Office will meet with the Executive Committee.

Governor Ivey spoke with members of the Executive Committee Monday and expressed her confidence and appreciation in the group she assembled. The appointments are effective October 1, 2024.