Members

Current Members

Governor Kay Ivey

Gov. Kay Ivey
Ex-Officio President

Governor Ivey was sworn in as Alabama’s 54th Governor on April 10, 2017. She graduated from Auburn University in 1967. She was elected State Treasurer in 2002 and Lieutenant Governor in 2010. She again made history in 2014 by becoming the first Republican Lieutenant Governor re-elected to the office. She is also the first Girls State alumnus to be elected to an Alabama Constitutional Office. She resides in Montgomery, AL.


Senator Arthur Orr

Senator Arthur Orr
2015-2029
Chair

Senator Orr serves as Vice President and General Counsel for Cook’s Pest Control. He has previously served as a Country Director/Staff Attorney for Habitat for Humanity International and as an Educational Consultant for the United States Peace Corps. Orr received his Bachelor’s Degree from Wake Forest University in 1986 and is a 1989 graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law. Senator Orr resides in Decatur.


Jim America

Mr. Jim America
2019-2026
Vice Chair

Mr. America is a highly driven and visionary HR Executive Consultant, with multi-industry and international business experience.  He currently is an Executive HR Consultant with PassionHR Consulting, Inc. based in Huntsville, AL.  He began his career as a Process Engineer with the E.I. DuPont Corporation and transitioned into the field of Human Resources. He has served as the Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at U. S. Pipe & Foundry, Inc. (Birmingham), Colonial Pipeline (Atlanta), Carpenter Technology Corporation (Philadelphia), and FreightCar America (Chicago). Mr. America graduated from Auburn University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, and he received his Master’s degree in Public and Private Management from Birmingham-Southern College.
He currently resides in Madison, AL.


Chancellor Jimmy Baker

Chancellor Jimmy Baker

Mr. Baker became the chancellor of the Alabama Community College System on April 1, 2017. He holds a graduate degree in Economics and Education Administration and an Education Specialist degree. He has served as Deputy State Superintendent of Education. He was appointed Chief of Staff in January 2016 for the Alabama Community College System and in August 2016 appointed as Acting Chancellor. He has more than 50 years in public service and private business.


Mary Dickens

Ms. Mary C. Dickens
2017-2024

Ms. Dickens currently serves as Vice President of Business Management at COLSA Corporation. She was formerly a Contract Executive in the Senior Executive Service within the Department of Defense at the US Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal. Ms. Dickens has also served in various positions within the US Army Aviation and Missile Command. Ms. Dickens is a 1993 graduate of Athens State College and received her Master’s degree in Management & Contract Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. Ms. Dickens resides in Meridianville.


William Dunnavant

Mr. William “Bill” Dunnavant
2019-2026

Mr. Dunnavant has an extensive career in radio and television broadcast and production. He was the president and owner of Athens Broadcasting, Inc. for nearly 40 years and co-produced the Alabama Republican Convention Network, Stage Door Nashville National Network, and World Football League Birmingham American Network. He also founded Athens Limestone Bank, Reliance Bank, and ZYP Productions. Dunnavant is currently partnering with Alabama Upstarts, a television program where entrepreneurs in Alabama can pitch their ideas to local investors. Dunnavant graduated from Athens State College in May 1971 with a B.S. in Business Administration. He currently resides in Athens, Alabama.


Mac McCutcheon

Mr. Mac McCutcheon
2022-2029

Mr. McCutcheon was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2006.  He served as Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives from 2016-2022 and served as the representative for District 25.  Mr. McCutcheon is a United States Army Veteran and spent 25 years with the Huntsville Police Department in fields ranging from hostage negotiation to serving as a probation officer before his retirement.  Mr. McCutcheon holds an Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice from Calhoun Community College and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Trinity University.  Mr. McCutcheon is a native of Madison County and resides in Monrovia.


Goodrich "Dus" Rogers

Mr. Goodrich A “Dus” Rogers
2021-2028

Mr. Rogers currently serves as the Executive Vice-President for Business Development and Customer Service for the Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative in Rainsville, AL.  He has worked 16 years for the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service and 15 years in Economic Development with the Jackson County Economic Development Authority. He is retired from the Army National Guard and Army Reserves as a Colonel with over 30 years of service.  He received a Bachelor’s Degree from Auburn and a Master’s Degree from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and is also a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute.  He resides in Scottsboro, AL.


Sandra Sims-deGraffenried

Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried
2017-2024

Dr. Sims-deGraffenried has an extensive career in public education leadership. For almost two decades she served as an advocate for public education as Executive Director of the Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB). Following her retirement from AASB, she was the Associate Executive Director of the Alabama Nursing Home Association. She now serves as a consultant. Sims-deGraffenried earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Athens College in 1967 and 1970 respectively, and her Doctorate from Vanderbilt University in 1984. Dr. Sims-deGraffenried resides in Orange Beach.


Missy Ming Smith

Mrs. Missy Ming Smith
2017-2024

Mrs. Smith has served in various capacities with WHNT-TV and WAFF-TV. She was the first woman in Alabama to anchor an evening news program. From 1991-2014 she served as Director of Information and Community Relations for the Madison County Commission. From 2006- 2015 she represented the 5th Congressional District as Commissioner for the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). Mrs. Smith attended Calhoun Community College and Athens State University. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Auburn University. Mrs. Smith resides in Huntsville.


Mike Underwood

Mr. Mike Underwood
2022-2029

Mr. Underwood currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of TriGreen Equipment.  Mr. Underwood grew up in a farming community in Colbert County and his family has been in the John Deere business for 75 years.   Mr. Underwood serves on the Calhoun Community College Foundation Board and Alabama Future Farmers of America and the First Metro Bank Board of Directors.  Mr. Underwood earned a bachelor’s degree in Management and Marketing from the University of North Alabama. Mr. Underwood resides in Athens.


Previous Members

Ms. Crystal Brown
2015-2021

Mr. Ronnie Chronister
2015-2022

Chancellor Mark Heinrich

Mr. Garth Lovvorn
2012-2015

Mr. Macke Mauldin
2015 – 2022

Mr. Clint Shelton
2012-2019

Mr. Tazewell T. Shepard
2012-2017

Ms. Maxine Randolph
2012-2019