MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Angela Till, an Alabama Department of Revenue official with deep experience in tax-related economic development issues, has joined the Alabama Department of Commerce as deputy secretary.
Till replaces Linda Swann, the assistant secretary of commerce who is retiring this month after 11 years with the Department of Commerce and a long, fruitful career in economic development in Alabama. In her new role, Till will function as the second-ranking leader at the state’s lead economic development agency.
“We have become more strategic and collaborative in our approach to our mission at Commerce and to be able to call on a skilled and knowledgeable expert like Angela Till to take over in this role is critical to our success,” Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said. “Angela’s expertise in the financial and tax-related aspects of incentives packages and her deep experience in working with economic developers across the state will be valuable to us as we continue to pursue our job-creation strategies.”
Before joining the Department of Commerce on July 16, Till served as the abatement program administrator for the Office of Economic Development in the Alabama Department of Revenue, helping to craft the tax-related elements of incentive packages. She has 14 years of experience in administering Alabama’s tax incentive programs for the Department of Revenue.
Till worked at the Alabama Department of Revenue for a total of 24 years, serving in various positions including senior tax analyst and sales and use tax auditor.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Auburn University at Montgomery. She resides in Greenville and has two sons, both students at Auburn University.
SWANN RETIRES
The Department of Commerce will honor Swann with a reception at 2:30 p.m. July 25 at the Capitol, with Governor Robert Bentley scheduled to speak and present her with a proclamation. The Economic Development Association of Alabama also will honor her at a reception during its summer conference at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, July 27-30.
Swann joined the Department of Commerce as assistant director in 2003, and she served a brief stint as the agency’s interim director in 2010, when it was known as the Alabama Development Office. She also headed the Alabama Film Office between 2004 and 2009.
During her tenure at the department, Swann has been deeply involved in the successful recruitment of many major economic development projects, including the ThyssenKrupp steel mill near Mobile, the Raytheon missile plant in Huntsville and the Hyundai Heavy Industries factory in Montgomery.
Before joining the Department of Commerce, she operated a consulting firm, Economic Development Services & Strategies, and worked at the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, Alabama Power Co., and the Gadsden-Etowah County Industrial Development Authority.
“Few people in economic development in Alabama can match Linda’s experience or her track record in the field,” Canfield said. “She has been at the center of projects that have brought billions in new investment to the state and created thousands of high-wage jobs. Her contribution will be lasting.”
