By Staff
Tray Smith
Atmore
Austrian scholar Peter Druker once said, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” As of June 24, we have a candidate for governor who poses the characteristics of both a manager and a leader. In Kay Ivey’s two terms as state treasurer, she has proven her capabilities as a public servant who can be trusted to do the right things, the right way.
Since the gubernatorial campaign began this spring, candidates have been making appearances across the state. Here in Atmore, Kay Ivey has been frequently visiting our city for years. She has never forgotten the values she learned growing up in the rural Alabama community of Camden, and she has made our small towns a priority even in non-election years. She has also amassed an outstanding record in state government.
Confronted with a state treasury burdened by bureaucratic excess, Kay Ivey streamlined the operations of that office, improving efficiency while saving taxpayer dollars. That experience makes her uniquely qualified for governing our state at this time of national economic and fiscal strain.
However, Ivey’s financial experience is not limited to governmental budgeting. Her years as a bank officer in Mobile provide her with a businesswoman's perspective. She will be able to grasp the affects that her decisions have on private businesses and citizens.
The next governor will also need to expand upon the economic development initiatives jumpstarted by Governor Riley. As state treasurer, Kay Ivey has been involved with many of those projects. She has also previously served as the assistant director of the Alabama Development Office, the lead agency for industrial recruitment.
On other issues, too, Kay Ivey is exceptionally qualified. She has learned the challenges facing educators first hand as a schoolteacher. She has formed opinions on the complicated issue of health care as a former assistant hospital administrator.
Most importantly to me, Kay Ivey has voluntarily invested her time in the leadership of our young people. She has done this through her support of Boys and Girls State, the Boy and Girl Scouts, and Youth in Government.
Indeed, there is very little Kay Ivey hasn’t done. That is why Alabama desperately needs her and her wealth of experiences in the Governor’s Mansion, fighting for conservative priorities such as lower taxes and ethics reform. Finally, we have the chance to elect a citizen-governor, working not out of political ambition, but instead out of the ability to identify with average citizens, many of whom occupy jobs Kay Ivey has already held.
Tray Smith
Atmore