“I am immensely honored to be the first Secretary of Workforce for the state of Alabama, and I am incredibly thankful to Governor Ivey that she has entrusted me to carry out her vision to tackle this all important task. Today is the first step in our mandate to make Alabama’s economy all that she can be, and workforce will be at the forefront of that mission. It is my commitment that this new agency will do all that it can to ensure Alabama workers are the best trained and most highly skilled in America,” said Reed. “It will be my focus to champion Governor Ivey’s goals by collaborating with the business community, the education community, the manufacturing and industrial community, the Alabama Legislature and our federal delegation to coordinate our efforts and achieve best outcomes for the people of Alabama. I could not be more excited about this new and important initiative.”

During his tenure in the Alabama Senate, Reed sponsored numerous pieces of legislation with a focus on workforce transformation and economic development.

Reed served as the sponsor for the Alabama Incentives Modernization (AIM) Act in 2019, which updated Alabama’s incentives to recruit businesses to rural counties, take advantage of federal opportunity zones and attract technology companies to Alabama. Additionally, in 2023 as part of The Game Plan, Senator Reed was vital to renewing the Growing Alabama Act and the Alabama Jobs Act. In 2024, Senator Reed served as the legislative leader in the Working for Alabama bill package and was the sponsor for the Alabama Growth Alliance Act. The Alabama Growth Alliance will serve as the state’s preeminent advisory council for long-term economic and workforce development plans.