SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed has nominated Donald Watkins Jr. to serve as the City’s Small Business Dr. LeRoy Gradford, Jr. Inducted into African Development Director. The Personnel Board is American Golfers Hall of Fame – Honored with set to review Watkins’ appointment at an upcoming the 2025 Leadership Award, Dr. Gradford was meeting at City Hall in Montgomery, AL. Meanwhile, Chief of Staff Jerime Reid has resigned. An interim recognized for his lifelong service, philanthropy, leadership details are forthcoming. (AP)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Mayor Steven L. Reed has asked the Montgomery Personnel Board to approve his appointment of Donald Watkins Jr. as the City’s Director of Small Business Development at an annual salary of $120,960, according to board materials.
If approved, Watkins Jr. would oversee the City’s small-business ecosystem, directing programs such as the Small Business One-Stop Shop (SBOSS) and Access Montgomery, and coordinating initiatives to expand equitable access to capital and technical assistance. The role, which reports to the Director of Economic Development, is intended to mobilize public-private partnerships with banks, philanthropy, and government agencies…