Montgomery, Ala. – Governor Kay Ivey announced a leadership change at the top of the state’s financial apparatus. After 16 years of service, State Finance Director Bill Poole will depart at the end of the week, and the governor has tapped Doryan Carlton, the current State Budget Officer, to fill the role.
Bill Poole’s tenure
Poole has served as chief financial officer and chief executive officer of the Department of Finance since Governor Ivey appointed him in 2021. During his tenure, the department helped prepare budgets exceeding $75 billion in state funds and oversaw more than $7 billion in public bond financing and strategic debt restructuring. The Bond Buyer recognized the state and Poole with its 2022 Innovate Deal of the Year award, and Poole led the financing of the historic Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project.
He also played a key role in the planning of the new Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences, administered the distribution of over $2 billion in COVID‑19 relief funds, and helped launch Innovate Alabama, a statewide innovation initiative.
Governor Ivey’s praise
“Whether it was in the Alabama House of Representatives shepherding the Education Trust Fund or in my Administration leading the Department of Finance, Bill has been an outstanding public servant,” Governor Ivey said. “He has helped our state make headway in many arenas, including transportation infrastructure, economic development, education and innovation. Alabama has improved in virtually every financial and economic metric, and I am beyond grateful to Bill for his service over these last five years. As I often say, Alabama’s best days are still ahead, and I know we can look forward to more good work from Bill.”
Doryan Carlton’s background
Before her appointment, Carlton served as the State Budget Officer in the Executive Budget Office, where she earned a reputation for diligent, detail‑oriented work on the state’s budgets. “For years, Doryan has done good work on our state’s budgets within the Executive Budget Office. Thanks in part to her leadership, Alabama has not once declared proration during my Administration,” Ivey noted.
Carlton has been directly involved in many of Governor Ivey’s signature initiatives, including the education savings account program (the CHOOSE Act), the Turnaround Schools initiative, teacher pay raises, increased correctional officer pay, and investments in forensic laboratories.
“I am deeply honored and grateful to Governor Ivey for placing her trust in me and giving me the opportunity to serve as Finance Director,” Carlton said. “Having spent the vast majority of my career with the Finance Department, this appointment is especially meaningful to me. I look forward to building on the Department’s strong foundation, working collaboratively with our talented staff and dedicated professionals across state government, and continuing our commitment to responsible stewardship of the state’s financial resources.”
Continuity and future outlook
Governor Ivey emphasized that the transition will be seamless. Poole will remain in office through Friday, October 2, ensuring continuity while Carlton assumes the helm immediately thereafter. The governor expressed confidence that Carlton’s expertise will be instrumental in the final months of the Ivey administration and beyond.
The change comes as Alabama continues to pursue fiscally conservative budgets, pay down debt, and make generational investments in education, infrastructure, and public safety. With the new finance director in place, the state aims to maintain its record of avoiding budget proration and to keep advancing the economic and financial health of Alabama’s citizens.
Original reporting: Alabama News Network — read the source article.
