Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth announced last Friday that Connie Rowe has been appointed to serve as his new chief of staff following the departure of Catherine Gayle Fuller, who has accepted a position in the private sector.
“Connie Rowe is a veteran of the Alabama State House, and she has certainly demonstrated the leadership skills and experience necessary to guide my staff through the end of the quadrennium,” Ainsworth said. “Catherine Gayle served our office well throughout her tenure, and we wish her God’s blessings as she accepts the opportunity that has been offered to her.”
Rowe, who was a two-term state representative representing District 13, announced in 2022 that she would not run for reelection to the Alabama House and, instead, accepted an appointment as senior advisor to Lt. Gov. Ainsworth.
“From day one, Lt. Gov. Ainsworth promised Alabamians that his office would be the most active, engaged, and hardest working in the history of our state, and I remain committed to helping him fulfill that mission,” Rowe said. “With issues ranging from workforce development to military infrastructure to aerospace industry expansion and others, the lieutenant governor has given us a full plate to keep us busy throughout the coming year.”
While in the House, Rowe held several leadership posts within the body. Her fellow Republican lawmakers elected Rowe as vice chair of the House Republican Caucus, the second highest position in the body’s GOP structure. Rowe was the first woman in history to hold a leadership post within the caucus.
In addition, Rowe held a seat on the Joint Legislative Council, a panel of House and Senate members entrusted with a variety of administrative and policy responsibilities related to the operation of the Legislature.
Rowe previously served as the chief of police of Jasper, where she was the first female to lead the Jasper City Police Department. She was also an investigator for the Walker County District Attorney’s Office and the first female investigator for the 14th Judicial Circuit.
