SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed has nominated Donald Watkins Jr. to serve as the City’s Small Business Dr. LeRoy Gradford, Jr. Inducted into African Development Director. The Personnel Board is American Golfers Hall of Fame – Honored with set to review Watkins’ appointment at an upcoming the 2025 Leadership Award, Dr. Gradford was meeting at City Hall in Montgomery, AL. Meanwhile, Chief of Staff Jerime Reid has resigned. An interim recognized for his lifelong service, philanthropy, leadership details are forthcoming. (AP)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Mayor Steven L. Reed has asked the Montgomery Personnel Board to approve his appointment of Donald Watkins Jr. as the City’s Director of Small Business Development at an annual salary of $120,960, according to board materials.
If approved, Watkins Jr. would oversee the City’s small-business ecosystem, directing programs such as the Small Business One-Stop Shop (SBOSS) and Access Montgomery, and coordinating initiatives to expand equitable access to capital and technical assistance. The role, which reports to the Director of Economic Development, is intended to mobilize public-private partnerships with banks, philanthropy, and government agencies.
Watkins Jr. and his father, Donald Watkins Sr., were convicted in 2019 in a federal case prosecutors described as a “complex investment fraud scheme” totaling more than $10 million over seven years. Watkins Jr. was convicted of one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy, sentenced to three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $13.85 million in restitution jointly with his father. In 2019, a Reed spokesman described Watkins Jr. as a “lifelong friend” of the mayor in response to a report about a $250 donation to Reed’s mayoral campaign.
Leadership Change at City Hall
Separately, Mayor Reed announced Friday that Chief of Staff Jerime Reid has resigned. Reid joined the City as chief operating officer in March 2023 and became chief of staff in October 2024. In a news release, Reed credited Reid with advancing organizational priorities and operational improvements across departments.
“Jerime brought strong leadership and focus to our team during a time of significant growth and change,” Reed said. “We thank him for his service to the people of Montgomery and wish him continued success in the future.”
City officials said an announcement on interim leadership and the transition process will follow in the coming days.
As the Personnel Board considers Watkins Jr.’s appointment and City Hall manages the chief-of-staff transition, the administration’s economic-development agenda remains in focus. The small business director post is central to the City’s strategy to grow and sustain entrepreneurship, broaden support services, and build a resilient, inclusive local economy.