Veterans Resource Center Board Launched to Strengthen Support for Alabama’s Veterans

Governor Kay Ivey shared news Thursday of a major step for Alabama’s Veterans. She’s named 11 prominent leaders to the new Alabama Veterans Resource Center (AVRC) Board. This center is part of her 2025 agenda. It’s set to become a statewide hub offering job training, help with benefits, legal and family support, and peer connections for Veterans and their loved ones.

“During this past legislative session, I made it a top priority to strengthen our support for Alabama’s veterans,” Governor Ivey said. “Our servicemen and women deserve accessible, reliable support as they navigate civilian life. With this board now in place, we’re taking a major step forward in making sure Alabama remains the most military- and veteran-friendly state in the nation.”

The Board includes top officials and diverse voices:

• Greg Reed – Secretary of the Department of Workforce, serving as board chair
• Jeff Newton – Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as vice chair
• Kimberly Boswell – Commissioner of Mental Health
• Senator Bobby Singleton – Minority Leader, Senate District 24
• Representative Anthony Daniels – Minority Leader, House District 53
• Stacia Robinson – Director, Office of Minority Affairs
• Ronald Brown – EVP & CFO, Jim Wilson & Associates
• Carter Wells – Gov’t Affairs Advisor, Maynard Nexsen
• George Talbot – SVP for External Affairs at Volkert (appointed by the Lt. Governor)
• Senator Andrew Jones – Chair of the Veterans, Military Affairs & Public Safety Committee (appointed by Senate Pro Tem)
• Tracy Doughty – President & COO, Huntsville Hospital (appointed by House Speaker)

Workforce Secretary Greg Reed said the AVRC will be a big benefit for those who served. “Alabama veterans deserve more than just gratitude – they deserve resources to help them navigate the systems that meet their needs. By creating an entity that will help streamline access to services and collaborate with stakeholders … Our goal is to increase partnerships, eliminate fragmentation, increase trust and improve long‑term outcomes for those and their families,” he said.

Veterans Affairs Commissioner Jeff Newton noted this is just the start. “The Alabama Veterans Resource Center has the potential to change lives, but it’s just the beginning,” he said. “This facility will provide an added resource for veterans to thrive after service — to build a future, start a career and make an impact right here in Alabama. It’s critical that we get this transition right, and this center is where transition becomes opportunity.”

The creation of the AVRC follows the recent restructuring the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA). The push to restructure the ADVA hasn’t come without criticism. In February, Veterans and advocacy groups flooded lawmakers with calls, warning that transferring power from a Board of Veterans to the Governor’s office would undermine those who understand the unique needs of servicemen and women. That opposition boiled over into the Republican State Party, where a proposed resolution condemning the changes as a “power grab” narrowly failed. Critics argued it stripped authority from the Board and shifted control to Gov. Ivey and her appointees.

The flashpoint came in October, when Governor Ivey used executive authority to fire Commissioner Kent Davis, even after the board unanimously voted to retain him. Supporters of the new law say it aligns the department with other state agencies and adds executive oversight. But Veterans’ groups and some lawmakers say the changes dilute a system built to serve Veterans, not politics. It’s a debate that has stirred strong feelings across Montgomery and hints at lasting tensions as the new AVRC board gets to work.

The newly formed AVRC Board will meet soon to lay the groundwork for operations. Alabama’s Veteran population—numbering around 400,000—have been promised they can look forward to a more unified, caring system to support their transition from service to civilian life.