Senate confirmations committee advances multiple university and regulatory nominees; one senator objects over board diversity

The Alabama Senate Confirmations Committee met May 12 and approved a series of gubernatorial appointees to university boards and state regulatory commissions, with most nominees advancing by unanimous recorded votes.

Representative Rex Reynolds and William Dunovan were presented as nominees to the Athens State University Board of Trustees. Representative Rex Reynolds told the committee he is a state House member and Athens State alumnus and described his law-enforcement career and support for working-student programs. William Dunovan said he graduated from Athens State in 1971 and has served on the board for six-and-a-half years. The committee agreed to hear both nominees together and, after discussion, the clerk reported a roll-call vote of 12 yays and 2 nays; the chair declared both nominees approved. Senator Smitherman told the committee he would vote no and said he was troubled that the appointment process reduced African-American representation on that board, calling the outcome “a major problem” and “unconscionable” in terms of representation.

The committee then considered Steve Smith for the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy. Smith, who said he has been a licensed CPA in Alabama for more than 40 years and has served on the board since 2022 (serving this year as board chair), was reported approved by a recorded vote of 15-0.

George Pierce, nominated to the Alabama Ethics Commission, described decades of local government experience, including 17 years on his city council; committee members moved his nomination and the clerk reported a unanimous approval (15-0). Pierce told members he believes in "strong ethics" and pledged to listen and be fair if confirmed.

Ronnie Stalworth, nominated to the University of South Alabama Board of Trustees, said he is a University of South Alabama alumnus who has funded and mentored engineering scholarships and works in engineering and construction; the committee approved his nomination by a recorded vote of 15-0.

The committee read three nominees to the Alabama State University Board of Trustees—Bobby Singleton, Patricia Anne Jones and Angela Star—and approved them in mass after a brief procedural exchange about whether a board seat could be substituted before floor consideration. Three reappointments to the University of North Alabama Board of Trustees (Nancy Stan Sanford, Marty Abrams and Jim Page) were approved in mass; the clerk’s roll calls for those approvals were reported as 15-0.

Finally, the committee considered two nominees to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. Dr. Nicholas Balden, introduced as a public-affairs professor and policy consultant focused on education and workforce development, and Jennifer Wit, introduced as a retired public educator with 26 years of service as teacher and school leader, both told the committee they would prioritize aligning higher-education programs with workforce needs and budget stewardship. Both nominations were reported approved by a 15-0 vote. During this exchange, members raised workforce-development and curriculum-alignment as priorities for the commission.

The meeting concluded with the chair adjourning the committee. The transcript records several roll-call tallies: the Athens State nominees were recorded as 12 yays and 2 nays; subsequent nominations and reappointments were recorded as unanimous 15-0 tallies. A question directed to the appointment secretary about Athens State’s minority-student population was asked during the meeting; the transcript does not record an answer or a numeric figure.

Actions and next steps: approved nominees will move to the Senate floor for further consideration as required by chamber procedures.