Mobile Chamber to Honor Gov. Kay Ivey at Nov. 10 Forum Alabama Luncheon

MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile Chamber will honor Gov. Kay Ivey for her years of public service at its Forum Alabama luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the Battle House Renaissance Hotel & Spa in downtown Mobile. The event comes as Ivey prepares to leave office in January 2027 after nearly a decade as Alabama’s governor.

The luncheon will celebrate Ivey’s leadership and reflect on her tenure, and the Chamber is inviting members of the business community and the public to join in recognizing her service to the state.

Event details

• What: Forum Alabama luncheon honoring Gov. Kay Ivey
• When: Tuesday, Nov. 10. Doors open at 11:30 a.m.; the luncheon begins at noon.
• Where: Moonlight Ballroom, Battle House Renaissance Hotel & Spa, downtown Mobile
• Cost: $60 for Chamber members, $85 for guests
• Presenting sponsor: Alabama Port Authority

Those interested in attending can contact the Mobile Chamber for reservations.

A long career in state government

Ivey became Alabama’s 54th governor in April 2017, taking office after the resignation of Gov. Robert Bentley. She had previously served two terms as state treasurer and was elected lieutenant governor in 2010, serving in that role until she moved up to the governor’s office.

She won full terms as governor in 2018 and 2022. Alabama’s constitution limits governors to two consecutive terms, so she is not on the ballot this year. Voters will choose her successor in the Nov. 3 general election, one week before the luncheon, and the new governor will be sworn in in January.

Ivey is the first Republican woman to serve as Alabama’s governor and the second woman to hold the office, following Lurleen Wallace, who served in 1967 and 1968. A native of Wilcox County, Ivey graduated from Auburn University.

Priorities of her administration

Ivey’s administration has focused on economic development, education, infrastructure improvements and workforce development. Among the most visible efforts:

• Infrastructure: In 2019 she signed the Rebuild Alabama Act, which raised the state’s fuel tax for the first time in decades to pay for road and bridge work. The program continues to fund local projects across the state, including in Mobile and Baldwin counties.
• Workforce: Her administration set a goal of adding hundreds of thousands of credentialed workers to Alabama’s workforce through its “Success Plus” initiative.
• Education: She has championed the state’s nationally recognized First Class Pre-K program and signed the Alabama Literacy Act and the Alabama Numeracy Act.
• Economic development: Her tenure has included major industrial announcements across the state, including in coastal Alabama.

Ties to the Port of Mobile

The luncheon’s presenting sponsor, the Alabama Port Authority, has worked closely with the governor’s office on one of the region’s largest infrastructure projects: the deepening and widening of the Mobile Harbor ship channel. Ivey has supported state funding for the channel project and other port investments during her tenure.

About Forum Alabama

Forum Alabama is the Mobile Chamber’s premier speaker series, bringing state leaders to Mobile for discussions about issues affecting businesses and the regional economy. Recent Forum Alabama programs have featured speakers including Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth and U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville has appeared at past forums.

The Battle House, a historic hotel on Royal Street that reopened in 2007 after an extensive restoration, regularly hosts the Chamber’s major luncheons and civic events.

The race to succeed her

The luncheon falls one week after Alabama voters pick Ivey’s successor. The governor’s race has drawn Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville and Democrat Doug Jones, a former U.S. senator, with issues such as data centers and their effect on the state’s power grid and economy drawing attention on the campaign trail. Whoever wins will take office in January, when Ivey’s second full term ends.

The transition will also coincide with the start of a new four-year term for the Alabama Legislature, as every seat in the House and Senate is on the Nov. 3 ballot. That makes the Nov. 10 event something of a bridge between administrations for Mobile’s business community, which has long relied on close ties with the governor’s office on issues such as the port, transportation and economic development.

Leading through storms

Coastal Alabama has seen its share of emergencies during Ivey’s tenure. Hurricane Sally made landfall near Gulf Shores in September 2020, causing widespread damage across Baldwin and Mobile counties, and the state’s response to storms has been a recurring part of her time in office. Most recently, she issued and then extended a state of emergency after Hurricane Isaias this month, as state crews assessed damage across the region.

A farewell season

The Mobile event is one of the ways business and civic groups are marking the end of Ivey’s time in office. During her time in office, she has led the state through the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple hurricanes and a period of significant economic growth. The Nov. 10 luncheon gives the Mobile business community its own chance to recognize that service.