Governor Kay Ivey on Monday announced Department of Finance Director Bill Poole will leave his position at the end of the week after 16 years of state service. Ivey also announced Doryan Carlton will lead the department.
“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,” 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.”
Poole has served as the state’s chief financial officer and chief executive officer of the Department of Finance since Ivey appointed him in 2021. During that time, his office worked with Ivey to prepare budgets totaling more than $75 billion in state funds.
“Serving the state of Alabama has been among the greatest privileges of my professional life, and I believe the work and accomplishments of Governor Ivey and her Administration to better the state of Alabama for its citizens are unparalleled. It has been an honor to serve on her team as she works hard every day to make Alabama’s future even stronger,” Poole said. “I am grateful for the trust placed in me and for the opportunity to work alongside Governor Ivey, legislative leadership, talented public servants, policymakers, educators, business leaders and community leaders on issues that I believe will benefit Alabama for years to come. I have been fortunate during my time in public service to have the opportunity to form authentic and impactful relationships with individuals and organizations across Alabama and the nation. Though some of my titles will soon change, those relationships and my interest in helping to continue to improve Alabama’s future will remain consistent.”
Poole helped oversee more than $7 billion in public bond financing and strategic debt restructuring, according to Ivey’s office. In 2022, The Bond Buyer honored the state and Poole with its Innovate Deal of the Year award. Most recently, Poole led efforts to secure financing for the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project.
Poole also participated in planning and development for the new Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences, an initiative championed by Ivey. He administered the distribution of more than $2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds and led the formation of Innovate Alabama, among other initiatives.
Before and during his service in the Ivey administration, Poole participated in national programs including the Aspen Institute Rodel Fellowship and the Presidential Leadership Scholars program.
Before Ivey appointed him finance director, Poole represented a Tuscaloosa-area district in the Alabama House of Representatives for 11 years and led the House education appropriations committee for eight years. One of his signature pieces of legislation was Ivey’s Rebuild Alabama Act. He also practiced law in Tuscaloosa from 2004 to 2021.
Ivey said Carlton’s experience with the state’s budgets “will be instrumental” during the final months of her administration. Carlton has served as state budget officer in the Executive Budget Office.
Doryan Carlton
“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 said. “Many giants have come before us at the Department of Finance, and I know Doryan will be a giant in her own right. She is someone who works diligently behind the scenes with an acute attention to detail that will serve our state well.”
Since Ivey took office in 2017, Carlton has helped carry out the administration’s budget priorities. According to the governor’s office, she has worked on initiatives including the CHOOSE Act education savings account program, the Turnaround Schools initiative, teacher pay raises, increased correctional officer pay and investments in state forensic laboratories.
“I am deeply honored and grateful to Gov. Ivey for placing her trust in me and giving me the opportunity to serve as Finance Director. Having spent the vast majority of my career with the Finance Department, this appointment is especially meaningful to me,” Carlton said. “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. It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to serve in this role and to give back to an organization and a state that mean so much to me.”
Poole will serve through Friday, October 2. Carlton will take over immediately afterward.
