Montgomery – Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R – Rainsville) announced on Wednesday that he has appointed State Rep. Debbie Wood (R – Valley) to serve as the House Liaison for Member Family Services, a role that provides support and counsel for all 105 state representatives and their immediate family members.
“Serving in the House demands a great deal of sacrifice and responsibility not only from the members who hold office but also from their immediate family members back at home,” Ledbetter said. “Experience has taught us that legislators and family members who need support services are best served by having one, dependable point of contact who is a peer, and because Rep. Wood is so reassuring and detail-oriented, she became the immediate and obvious choice.”
Wood said her service in the House has taught her the importance of having a support service contact, and she looks forward to working with her fellow state representatives and their family members to ensure their needs are being met.
“The liaison role will be wide-ranging and includes everything from coordinating condolences and acknowledgments when a member suffers a death in the family to answering questions and providing assistance to the spouses and dependents of state representatives,” Wood said. “Serving in the House is a full-time job, not one that occurs only when we are in session, so I look forward to being the point of contact that members and families can rely upon at any time.”
Wood is currently serving her second term in the Alabama House and previously held a seat on the Chambers County Commission for 16 years. She was the first woman elected as chair of the Chambers County Commission and was also the statewide president of the Association of County Commissioners of Alabama.
A breast cancer survivor and advocate for regular mammogram testing for women, she is employed as the broker and chief operating officer of Century 21 Prestige in Valley, Alabama