MONTGOMERY, Alabama (February 25, 2011) - As a service to its clients and friends in the governmental relations industry, Montgomery-based firm Public Strategy Associates has released basic biography information on each appointee to the Commission on Improving State Government.  Lt. Governor Kay Ivey will be Chairman of the Commission.  The duty of the Commission is to analyze and explore new ways to reduce government spending with minimal or no reduction to essential state services.

Alabama Commission on Improving State Government

Young Boozer – State Treasurer – Boozer was born in Birmingham and raised in Tuscaloosa. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University and a master’s degree in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. During the past four decades, Boozer’s career in banking, finance and investments has taken him from Citibank in New York and Crocker National Bank in Los Angeles, to Coral Petroleum in Houston and Colonial Bank in Montgomery.  Boozer also served as Deputy State Finance Director for Governor Bob Riley after retiring in 2007 from his position as Executive Vice President at Colonial Bank.

David Perry – Finance Director – Perry was appointed Finance Director by Governor Robert Bentley in January of 2011.  He served as Assistant Finance Director in 2004 under then Director Drayton Nabers, Jr., and subsequently practiced law with the Birmingham-based firm, Maynard, Cooper & Gale, PC.  Perry graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Policy Studies, and also earned a law degree from Northwestern University.

Jackie Graham – State Personnel Director – Graham has served in many roles within the Personnel Department, including: personnel analyst, Manager of the Classification and Pay Division, and Deputy Director.  She is a 1984 graduate of Auburn University with a degree in Personnel Management, and has worked for State Personnel since 1986.

Sam Shaw – Alabama State Auditor – Shaw was born and raised in Homewood, AL and attended Homewood High School.  She received her first degree from Auburn University in 1979, earning a B.S. degree in Family and Child Development.  She is married to Alabama Supreme Court Justice Greg Shaw of Birmingham.  Sam received a second degree in business administration in 1993 from Auburn with a major in accounting.

Seth Hammett – ADO Director – Hammett was recently appointed Direct of the Alabama Development Office by Gov. Bentley.  A native of Covington County, Hammett came to ADO as vice president of business development for PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.  He holds bachelors and masters degrees from Auburn University and has honorary Doctor of Law degrees from Troy University and the University of West Florida.  Hammett is former Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives for 16 years, past chairman of the 16-state Southern Legislative Conference and past president of the National Speakers Association.

Zelia Baugh – Mental Health Commissioner – Baugh was appointed Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health by Gov. Robert Bentley. She came to the department with more than 18 years experience in health care. She served most recently as Administrator of Psychiatry at the University of Alabama in Birmingham Center for Psychiatric Medicine. Prior to that position, she was the Administrative Director of Psychiatry at Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama.  Baugh holds a BA in Political Science and Sociology from Birmingham-Southern College and a Master of Social Work from the University of Alabama.

Judy Bonner – Governor’s Appointee – Bonner is Executive Vice President and Provost of the University of Alabama after having serving as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs since March 2003. Dr. Bonner holds two degrees from The University of Alabama – a B.S. in Nutrition and a M.S. in Food and Nutrition, and a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition from The Ohio State University. She served as Dean of the College of Human Environmental Studies at The University of Alabama since 1989 and, prior to that, Special Assistant to the President, Assistant Academic Vice President, and Head of the Department of Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management. She has held faculty positions at The University of Alabama in Birmingham and The Ohio State University. Dr. Bonner is an active member of civic, scientific and professional organizations and is the author of numerous books and articles.

Gen. (Ret.) Ed Crowell – Governor’s Appointee – At retirement, Crowell served as mobilization assistant to the Air University commander.  He grew up in a small community near Phoenix City, AL, and pursued his boyhood dream to serve in the military. Shortly after high school, General Crowell enlisted into the Air Force Reserve's then 908th Tactical Airlift Group at Maxwell Air Force Base.  Finishing basic training and technical school in maintenance, General Crowell started a stint with the 908th that would last more than 24 years. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Alabama State University, General Crowell was selected for pilot training and commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1974. However, with the post-Vietnam aviation draw down, General Crowell was diverted to the emerging social actions career field in the 908th.  In 1981, then-908th commander Col. Robert S. Martin appointed General Crowell to his first command as commander of the 908th Mobility Support Flight.

Tom Hamby – Governor’s Appointee – Hamby is a former AT&T executive.  Since 1999, Hamby has directed the activities of the state's biggest telephone company, which recently had 7,500 workers in Alabama, more than 4,200 of them in the Birmingham area.  He has chaired the Business Council of Alabama and the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce.  After earning a bachelor's degree in engineering at the University of Georgia, the Social Circle, GA native was commissioned in the Army Corps of Engineers and later served 10 years in the reserves and National Guard.

Johnny Johns – Governor’s Appointee – Johns became Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Protective Life Corporation in January 2003, just ten year after joining the company as Chief Financial Officer. After graduating from the University of Alabama and Harvard Law School in 1978 Johns, an Alabama native, returned home to work with the law firm of Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal. In 1984 he became a founding partner in the law firm of Maynard Cooper & Gale, P.C. In 1988 he entered the corporate business environment as Vice President and General Counsel of Sonat, Inc. – staying there until he joined Protective in 1993. Johns currently serves in a leadership role with Alabama National BanCorporation, Alabama Power Company, Genuine Parts Company and John H. Harland Company, and and he is currently a trustee of Birmingham-Southern College.

John McMahon – Governor’s Appointee – McMahon is Chairman and a co-founder of Ligon Industries, LLC.  He has been involved in over 35 acquisitions ranging from publicly held companies to small privately held companies over the past 35 years. Mr. McMahon is a director of Protective Life Insurance Corporation, ProAssurance Corporation, National Bank of Commerce, Cooper/T. Smith Corporation and UAB Health Systems.  He serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama and Birmingham-Southern College.  Mr. McMahon’s educational background includes an undergraduate degree from Birmingham-Southern College and a law degree from the University of Alabama.

Charles McCrary – Governor’s Appointee – McCrary is President and Chief Executive Officer of Alabama Power Company, which provides electricity to 1.4 million customers in Alabama.  He joined Alabama Power during the summer of 1970 following his freshman year at Auburn University and has held various positions of increasing responsibility within Southern Company. Mr. McCrary graduated from Shades Valley High School, and earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Auburn University. He went on to earn a Juris Doctor from Birmingham School of Law and was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1979. He serves as Chairman of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama.

Ruffner Page – Governor’s Appointee – Page has served as President of McWane, Inc. since 1999.  He joined the company in 1993 working in the area of mergers and acquisitions. Prior to coming to McWane, he held management positions at National Bank of Commerce from 1989 to 1993, the Remington Fund from 1986 to 1989, and Bankers Trust Company in New York and Atlanta.  In 2011, he was also appointed as a member of the Speaker's Commission on Job Creation by Mike Hubbard, Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives.  Mr. Page graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee with a B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology with a minor in Economics. He is also a 1986 graduate of the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Billy Powell – Governor’s Appointee – Powell is Executive Vice President of the Alabama Cattleman’s Association and also served as President of the association in the 1980s.  He also serves as a member of the State Technical Committee of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service

Greg Powell – Governor’s Appointee – Powell is president and CEO of fi-Plan Partners where he advises organizations, families and individuals who wish to enhance and preserve their wealth. He has more than twenty-five years of experience in the financial investment industry. He's a member of the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) and is a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA). In 2002 Greg was chosen as one of five financial advisors for Research Magazine's Advisor Hall of Fame. His personal success recently led the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) to choose him as the 2009 Small Business Champion for the state of Alabama and chose him out of 14 southern states as the South Region Small Business Champion. Greg is also the Chairman of the NFIB Alabama Board of Directors.

Alfred Seawright – Governor’s Appointee – Seawright is President and CEO of Medical Place and holds a B.S. degree in Management from Alabama State University. He has been a longtime political activist and has been organizing communities and voter groups for over a decade. His company initially started as a durable medical equipment company but later expanded into the government sector, which distributes medical and laboratory equipment and supplies. It was certified as a small, minority-owned 8(a) business March 1986 under the Small Business Administration.

Will Sellers – Governor’s Appointee – Sellers is a partner with the firm of Balch & Bingham LLP whose area of practice includes economic development/incentives, estates, wealth management, tax law and public finance. He graduated magna cum laude from Hillsdale College with a bachelor’s degree in 1985.  He received is law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1988 and the New York University School of Law in taxation in 1989. He is a member of the Montgomery County and American Bar Associations, the Alabama State Bar and District of Columbia Bar.  He serves on a number of business community and civic boards and organizations.

Mike Thompson – Governor’s Appointee – Thompson is a graduate of Mountain Brook High School and the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science Degree in General Business. He is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the following organizations: Thompson Tractor Co., Inc., the Caterpillar dealer for the state of Alabama and ten counties in Northwest Florida; Fairway Investments, a real estate development company; and Thompson Investments, an investment company. He is also the Chairman of Tiger Machinery, the Caterpillar dealer for five regions in Russia and the Far East.

Bill Wallace – Governor’s Appointee – Wallace is founder and director of the architectural division of Goodwyn Mills and Cawood and is responsible for leadership and design excellence throughout the architectural division. In his nearly thirty years of practice, he has led the planning and architectural design of large-scale hospitality, mixed-use, corporate and academic related projects, where he has received regional and national acclaim. Bill has built a reputation for his analytical approach to understanding his client’s needs and delivering complex projects with large and diverse teams. He is involved in a number of community and civic organizations in Montgomery, where he lives with his family.

Jim Williams – Ex Officio Member Representing PARCA – Williams practices geriatric and internal medicine in Birmingham.  He received his MD from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham in 1983.

Gary Palmer – Ex Officio Member Representing Alabama Policy Institute – Palmer co-founded the Alabama Policy Institute, formerly known as the Alabama Family Alliance, in 1989. He was previously employed by Rust International in cost analysis, and prior to that with Combustion Engineering in the environmental systems division.  Gary is responsible for the leadership and direction of the Policy Institute. He identifies, maintains and promotes the vision of the Policy Institute by ensuring that the entire staff has the resources needed to fulfill the mission. Gary and his wife Ann reside in Hoover and are active members at Briarwood Presbyterian Church. They have three children, Claire, Kathleen, and Rob.

Leslie Meadows– Ex Officio Member Representing Certified Public Managers – Meadows directs the nationally accredited Certified Public Manager^® (CPM) training program, as well as the Governmental Accountant and Auditor Training (GAAT) program as Associate Director of the Alabama Training Institute.   She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master's degree in Counseling and Human Development from Troy University. Ms. Meadows oversees the day-to-day operations of the Alabama Training Institute where she manages and directs consulting and research projects for the Institute, and has worked with numerous municipal and state government clients including the Montgomery (Alabama) Police Department, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, the Alabama Department of Transportation, the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, the Alabama Department of Finance - Information Services Division, and the Office of the Governor of the State of Alabama.