One day after Gov. Kay Ivey announced that Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Kent Davis was resigning at the end of the year, Davis released a statement about the decision.
“I want to first thank the Veterans community for the outpouring of support and kind notes I have received over the last few days,” Davis said. “As reported on Monday, I will step down as the Commissioner of ADVA at the end of the year.
“After a cordial, informative meeting with Governor Ivey and several members of her senior staff on Monday, the matter has been resolved to the mutual benefit of all parties. This was not an easy decision, but I am convinced that my decision was the best one given my recent health concerns, the long-term mission of the ADVA, and, most importantly, the outstanding military Veterans of Alabama.”
Last week, Ivey asked Davis to resign because of what she described as mishandling of applications for federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Davis refused to resign by the end of the work day Friday, as Ivey requested, and defended his agency’s work on the grant process.
In response, Ivey released a letter from Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner Kim Boswell to Davis, written in April, severing a cooperative agreement between Mental Health and the ADVA to manage $7 million in ARPA grant funds. Boswell cited several concerns about the ADVA’s handling of the grants that she said would put Mental Health, which was responsible for monitoring the funds, at risk of negative audit findings or other bad consequences.
Ivey called a special meeting of the ADVA board, which she chairs, to consider firing Davis. That meeting was scheduled for Tuesday but was preempted by the meeting Monday between Davis, Ivey, and members of the governor’s senior staff.
After the meeting, Ivey announced that Davis would resign at the end of the year and she would work with the ADVA board to find a replacement.
In his statement on Tuesday, Davis did not address the concerns raised by Ivey and Boswell. Davis, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, has led the ADVA since 2019.
“I remain proud of the great work and propriety that the ADVA team has accomplished over the past nearly six years of my tenure as Commissioner,” Davis said. “Governor Ivey summed it up best when she spoke of the challenges of fulfilling our respective roles, and I am very grateful for the great discussion we had on Monday.
“My time as Commissioner has been some of the best years of my civilian career. The best part was meeting the men and women who have served and the families who sacrificed for the freedoms we have. I am grateful to have had this opportunity.”
Davis said one of the most important accomplishments in his tenure as ADVA commissioner will be celebrated Friday with the ribbon-cutting for the Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins State Veterans Home in Enterprise. It will be the ADVA’s fifth veterans home in Alabama. The other four have waiting lists of applicants for residency.
“This has been a seven-year project that I am grateful to see through the ribbon-cutting of this incredible facility,” Davis said.
“And yet, as I reflect on my nearly six years as Commissioner, I also acknowledge that more work is needed. There are always new and constructive ways to support Alabama’s Veterans. I look forward to completing this year with that goal in mind, and I will continue to apply the same passion and purpose for the next few months that has become expected.”
Before Tuesday’s ADVA board meeting was cancelled, the South Alabama Veterans Council put out a call for veterans to travel to Montgomery for the meeting to defend Davis and John Kilpatrick, who was removed from the ADVA board by Ivey, according to Lagniappe.
Also, the American Legion Department of Alabama, which says it has more than 16,000 veteran members, issued a statement in support of Davis and the ADVA staff:
“The care and accountability of our Veteran community within our great state, consisting of over 400,000 Veterans, has been exceptional under the leadership and devotion of Commissioner Davis.
“The works and accomplishments attributed to the ADVA that we as Veterans and our families have statewide, are a constant reminder of the dedication and foresight of Commissioner Davis.
“These include the unwavering advocacy for the care and well-being of our Veteran Heroes with a hard stand and focus on Veteran suicide. This epidemic has touched all of our lives in some way in which ADVA embraces and we will not forget this. Commissioner Davis and his team have overcome many obstacles and now have placed Veteran Service Officers across the state, ensuring the benefits our Heroes have earned, are available and they are there to assist in any way they can.”
Gina Maiola, communications director for Ivey, issued a statement Tuesday in response to a question about the veterans supporting Davis.
“As the governor said yesterday, Alabama veterans are a priority for the Ivey Administration, and that will continue to be the case going forward,” Maiola said. “The governor is exploring options to make improvements to the Board and Department through a legislative solution so that at the end of the day we are best serving our veterans. As she said, we have important work to continue doing, and she wants to see nothing getting in the way of the important mission at hand — improving veterans’ care.”
A number of key leaders in the Legislature supported Ivey’s decision to ask for Davis to step down.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, issued a statement in response to Davis’ resignation and the support Davis received from the American Legion.
“Supporting veterans and their families is a top priority of the Alabama Legislature,” Ledbetter said. “We will continue to look at ways to better serve our state’s veterans and ensure Alabama remains the most military-friendly state in the nation.”
AL.com staff writer John Sharp contributed to this report.
