Jordan Doufexis Is the Right Leader to Help Coach Deliver for Alabama

Guest Opinion by Perry Hooper Jr.

Tommy Tuberville knows that winning begins with putting the right people in the right positions, and his selection of Jordan Doufexis as chief of staff is an outstanding first move for Alabama’s next administration. Jordan brings the experience, judgment and understanding of Coach’s expectations that will be essential to turning an ambitious agenda into a successful governorship. He has earned this responsibility through years of service, increasing leadership and the confidence of the man Alabama has elected to lead.

Jordan’s preparation for this moment runs through both Alabama and Washington. A native of Rainsville, he served as Tuberville’s state director and deputy chief of staff before being elevated to Senate chief of staff in January 2025. Those responsibilities gave him experience with the needs of people back home and the demands of operating at the highest levels of the federal government. When announcing that promotion, Tuberville called Jordan “a proven winner” and said he had earned the respect of the entire team. That is a substantial endorsement from a leader whose career has depended on evaluating people and demanding performance.

In Washington, Jordan has overseen Tuberville’s Senate operations in the capital and across Alabama, coordinated legislative priorities and managed the daily work of the office. Those responsibilities require an ability to organize people, resolve competing demands and keep an elected official’s priorities moving forward. The public sees the senator’s speeches, interviews and votes. Behind that public leadership is the demanding work of making an office function, and Jordan has been entrusted with directing it. His effectiveness is reflected in Coach’s decision to bring him into the most important staff position in the incoming administration.

Jordan’s commitment to Coach has also extended beyond his official responsibilities. In his personal time, he has helped lead Tuberville’s political operation, including serving as chairman of his successful campaign for governor. That experience adds another important dimension to his preparation: understanding the commitments Coach made to voters and the expectations Alabamians will bring to this administration. Having helped carry that message through the campaign, Jordan is exceptionally well positioned to help turn those commitments into governing priorities and measurable results.

That experience will serve Alabama well because a governor’s chief of staff must connect vision with execution. A governor can set the direction, but someone must make certain that agency heads as well as other staff members understand the assignment, that decisions reach the governor in time and that important initiatives keep moving. Alabama needs an administration that follows through, measures progress and holds people responsible for results. Jordan enters this position with a working understanding of how Coach leads and what he expects from the people around him.

The relationship between a governor and chief of staff also determines how effectively an administration handles pressure. Difficult decisions cannot wait while the two people at the center of an operation learn how to communicate with each other. Jordan and Coach already have that foundation. Their experience together should allow the incoming administration to hit the ground running establish clear expectations early and move with purpose from its opening days.

For Alabama’s employers, local governments and communities, that kind of leadership matters. Recruiting an industry often requires coordination among workforce programs, infrastructure officials and economic development leaders. Expanding opportunity in rural Alabama requires persistent attention to the practical obstacles that can stall a good project. A strong chief of staff helps bring those responsibilities together and keeps the administration focused on the people who are waiting for an answer. Jordan’s combination of Alabama experience and Washington management gives him an excellent foundation for that work.

Coach’s confidence in Jordan was unmistakable when he announced the appointment: “He’s tough, he’s loyal, and he knows how to get things done.” Those qualities belong at the center of an administration determined to deliver for Alabama.

Jordan Doufexis has earned the opportunity to help lead this next chapter. He understands the state, he understands the responsibility and he has the governor’s trust. I believe he will be an outstanding chief of staff, bringing discipline, energy and a determination to deliver to the Governor’s Office. Coach has made a strong choice, and Alabama will be better served because of it.

Perry O. Hooper Jr. is a longtime Alabama Republican figure, former Alabama Legislator and Montgomery businessman. He served as Co-Chair of “Alabama Trump Victory” in 2016, and served as an at-large delegate to the Republican National Convention. He is a noted civic leader in Montgomery with deep family roots in Alabama’s legal and political history.

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