Kay Ivey
The following biographical sketch was compiled at the time of induction into the Academy in 2017.
Governor Kay Ivey learned the value of hard work and living within one’s means while growing up in the small town of Camden in Wilcox County and working on her father’s farm. Her parents instilled values of faith, family, and community.
After graduating from Auburn University in 1967, Ivey worked as a high school teacher and a bank officer. She served as Reading Clerk of the Alabama House of Representatives under Speaker Joseph C. McCorquodale and as Assistant Director of the Alabama Development Office, where she worked to spur job creation and economic development across the state.
In 2002, Ivey became the first Republican elected State Treasurer since Reconstruction and was re-elected in 2006. As Treasurer, she was committed to making the office more open, transparent, and efficient.
Ivey was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2010, becoming the first Republican woman to hold the office in Alabama’s history. She again made history on November 4, 2014, by becoming the first Republican Lieutenant Governor re-elected to the office. The Lieutenant Governor’s primary Constitutional duty is to preside over legislative proceedings of the upper house as President of the Senate.
One of Ivey’s first actions in office was to lead the Commission on Improving State Government. The Commission was tasked with exploring ways to reduce government spending and find efficiencies. Many of the Commission’s recommendations were implemented, laying the groundwork for Alabama to successfully complete The Road to Saving $1 Billion in December 2013.
In addition, Ivey has taken on several initiatives to grow jobs, address child hunger, and increase STEM education. As Chair of the Military Stability Commission, she is leading the first statewide coordinated effort to secure and strengthen Alabama’s military assets ahead of any potential base or force realignments.
On April 10, 2017, Ivey was sworn in as the 54th Governor of the State of Alabama in the Old Senate Chamber in the Alabama State Capitol by Acting Chief Justice Lyn Stuart.
She has been honored to receive numerous awards for her service to the State of Alabama, including the 2015 ALFA Service to Agriculture Award, Newmax’s 50 Most Influential Female Republicans in the country and, most recently, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) 2016 Public Service Award.
Ivey believes if you campaign as a conservative for office, then you should govern as a conservative in office. She will continue to bring conservative leadership with effective results to make this generation more productive and the next generation more prosperous.
Ivey is a member of the First Baptist Church of Montgomery, the Montgomery Rotary Club, and the Board of Directors of the Montgomery YMCA. She is also the first Girls State alumnus to be elected to an Alabama constitutional office.