Just hours after winning his election, Secretary of State-elect Wes Allen has already announced his appointed cabinet that will take their positions when Allen takes office in January.
Allen ran away with the vote Tuesday night, gaining over 60% of the vote, beating Democratic candidate Pamela Laffitte and Libertarian candidate Jason "Matt" Shelby.
As his chief of staff, Allen chose Clay Helms, who currently works with the SOS office elections division.
"I am excited to appoint Clay Helms to serve as my Chief of Staff," Allen said. "He has the experience, dedication and temperament that I was looking for to help me lead the office and to ensure that we create a culture of hard work, dedication and respect for the taxpayers who interact with the Office of the Secretary of State."
An outgoing member of the House of Representatives, Mike Jones will serve as Allen's general counsel. Jones was elected to Alabama's House District 92 in 2010, where he served as the chairman of the House Rules Committee and the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
"Mike is an excellent attorney and he knows the laws of this state as well as anyone," Allen said. "His knowledge of the law and of the inner operations of government will make him an invaluable asset to me, the staff and to the people of Alabama."
As director of Government Relations, Allen tapped Jonathan Hester, the deputy campaign manager for Gov. Kay Ivey.
"Jonathan understands the legislative process well and his relationships with the legislators in both chambers make him a great fit for this position," Allen explained. "He is a hard worker who understands the goals of this office and the importance of the legislative process in our day-to-day operations."
Jeff Elrod, the current Supervisor of voter registration for the SOS office, will serve as director of elections.
"Jeff brings a wealth of experience to the Elections Division but he also brings a respect for the people who do the job of administering our elections in each of Alabama's 67 counties," Allen said.
Laney Kelley will serve as director of scheduling and executive administrative assistant. Kelley will join the SOS office after serving as a consultant and scheduler for Allen's Secretary of State campaign.
"I am confident that Laney will be an asset to the Office of the Secretary of State. She understands the intricacies of the scheduling process and balancing a multitude of requests simultaneously," Allen said. "Her intelligence and experience will be very beneficial to the Office of the Secretary of State."
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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