But for Ken Tucker , the path from the county courthouse to the next post took a different trajectory . In this state ’ s 200-year history , he may be the only county commissioner to become a university president .

In 2015 – after a dozen years on the Marengo County Commission – he became president of the University of West Alabama . As he sees it , the two roles are more alike than many people might expect , and those commonalities were abundantly clear in April .

Photo : University of West Alabama

That is when , in partnership with AT & T , UWA hosted the first Alabama Summit on Rural Technology to convene diverse leaders for the purpose of enhancing the region ’ s technology infrastructure as a means to improve economic development , education and quality of life . ACCA Executive Director Sonny Brasfield spoke in a session focused on public policy aspects of rural technology .

UWA undergraduate and graduate programs enroll about 2,000 students on campus and a roughly equal number in online programs .

Tucker earned his Ph . D . at the University of Alabama , and today he holds leadership posts with a number of organizations related to education and economic development . His career has spanned both public and private sectors , and he is a member of Leadership Alabama .

A native son of Marengo County , Tucker now lives in Livingston , the county seat for Sumter County . He and his wife are the proud parents of four married daughters , who have given them three grandchildren .

Those who were part of the county family in 2012 may recall that Marengo County took home an Excellence in County Government Award presented by ACCA for a successful rural healthcare initiative that preserved labor and delivery services at the local hospital .

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