Special to the Tribune
MONTGOMERY – Gov. Kay Ivey announced on Monday that she has appointed Maj. Gen. Sheryl Gordon as Adjutant General of the Alabama National Guard, upon the retirement of Maj. Gen. Perry Smith.
“Gen. Sheryl Gordon is a trailblazer and visionary leader,” Governor Ivey said. “She has had a distinguished military career spanning 33 years. I look forward to serving alongside her as she leads our National Guard troops in Alabama.”
Gen. Gordon will become the first female Adjutant General in the history of the Alabama National Guard.
Gen. Gordon served for one year as an enlisted member of the National Guard before becoming a Second Lieutenant in 1981. In 2009 she was promoted to Brigadier General and became a Major General in 2011. She currently serves as the civilian Executive Director of the National Guard Association of Alabama.
Her previous duty assignments include Deputy Adjutant General of the Alabama National Guard (2011-2013), Commander of the 62nd Troop Command (2009-2011), and Garrison Commander of the Ft. McClellan Training Center (2007-2009).
“I am humbled to have been chosen by Gov. Ivey to serve my state and to lead my fellow soldiers in the Alabama National Guard as the Adjutant General,” Gen. Gordon said. “Being chosen to serve in this capacity is a great honor and is a responsibility I do not take lightly. However, I am confident my previous assignments have prepared me for this task.”
“I am thankful for the honorable leadership of Gen. Smith,” Gov. Ivey commented. “I wish him well in retirement.”
Gen. Gordon’s appointment is effective August 1, 2017.