By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – Governor Riley officially installed his Cabinet for his second term Wednesday. And there are few changes from four years ago. Most Cabinet members were around for all four years and plan to stay on in the second term.
Dave Stewart was one of the few changes. He moved up to chief of staff after serving as policy director. Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh is back in Riley's staff as senior adviser after leaving for two years to serve as state Republican Party chairman. And Chris Murphy recently replaced Mike Coppage as public safety director. One Cabinet member who's been with Riley from the beginning is Alabama Development Officer Neal Wade. Riley says Wade has given stability to the state's industrial recruitment program, which had seen nine directors in the ten years before Wade arrived in 2003.
Riley's Cabinet for his second term has one black member. He had three black Cabinet members when he started his first term. Two of those Cabinet members resigned during Riley's first term and were replaced by white appointees, who are staying for Riley's second term. The governor says that in each case he chose the most qualified person he could find, regardless of race.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)