Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday named Enterprise Mayor Kenneth Boswell director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

“ADECA provides valuable support to our local communities, improving the quality of life of our people through overseeing important economic development projects, infrastructure improvements and job training, in addition to managing all federal grant dollars,” Ivey said. “ADECA’s mission is important to Alabama’s success.”

“I am proud to appoint Enterprise Mayor Kenneth Boswell as ADECA Director, because he understands the needs of local communities and is fully committed to transparency and openness. His distinguished tenure as mayor shows that he understands the importance of leading local communities in economic development and he will be an asset to the people of Alabama,” Ivey added.

Boswell has served as mayor of Enterprise since 2003 and was originally elected to the Enterprise City Council in 2000..

Boswell replaces Jim Byard who resigned as ADECA Director. Boswell will officially begin his tenure on May 15, 2017.

Enterprise Council President Bill Cooper was sworn in as mayor Friday morning, becoming the first African American to hold the office.

“I am honored to now serve as the mayor of the City that I love,” the longtime councilman said. “Being the first African-American to serve in this capacity is a huge honor for me and one that I am very proud of.”