MONTGOMERY—A couple of veteran employees of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs will be leading two of the department’s grant-making divisions. ADECA Director Jim Byard Jr. announced the appointments which are effective Jan. 16.
Bea Forniss will serve as chief of the Community and Economic Development Division and Bill Babington will serve as chief of the Law Enforcement and Traffic Safety Division. The two divisions administer an array of grant programs that boost development and improve public services.
“Both Bea Forniss and Bill Babington have vast and varied experiences within the department that will be a tremendous asset as we continue to partner with community leaders, businesses, law enforcement agencies and others on projects and programs that build better Alabama communities,” Byard said.
The Community and Economic Development Division manages several programs that aim to increase economic development and improve the quality of life in Alabama communities. Those programs include Community Development Block Grants, Recreational Trails, the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority and ConnectingAlabama Broadband Initiative.
Grants and programs administered by ADECA’s Law Enforcement and Traffic Safety Division support the operations of local and regional drug task forces; provide emergency assistance for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse; support juvenile justice and crime prevention programs; assist state and local law enforcement agencies to purchase needed equipment; and fund traffic safety promotions including “Click It or Ticket” and campaigns to get drunken drivers and speeders off the highways.
Forniss joined ADECA as special projects director in 1994 and has managed the Emergency Shelter Grant, Community Service Block Grant and Delta Regional Authority programs. Since 2006, she has led the Resources and Economic Assistance Programs Unit which encourages economic development and health care in the Black Belt and other economically distressed areas of the state. A Mobile native, Forniss earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Alabama State University. She is serving a two-year term as president of the Alabama State University National Alumni Association.
Babington joined the ADECA staff in 1995 to help manage Community Development Block Grants and loans, and he gained further experience in the department’s Workforce Development Division. Prior to his new position, he led a unit of ADECA’s Energy Division focused on promoting and expanding energy efficient practices and the use of renewable energy throughout Alabama. A lifelong Montgomery resident, Babington earned degrees from Auburn University Montgomery and the Jones School of Law at Faulkner University.
Contact: Mike Presley, Larry Childers