He is well-educated with degrees from Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. He was an executive with a well-known financial institution, Colonial Bank. In 2009, he went to work in the Riley administration as deputy finance director.
It speaks volumes about the mood of an unhappy electorate distrustful of insiders that Boozer, a Republican, is making as much or more of his unusual name than his well-earned credentials.
Democratic candidate Charley Grimsley is a former community banker with deep roots in west Alabama. He was one of the activists who worked to try to resolve the crisis with the Alabama Prepaid Affordable College Tuition program, a mess that the next state treasurer must continue to contend with.
Boozer’s experience gives him the edge.
The Star recommends Young Boozer.
The to-do list: state treasurer
• Keep a close eye on the troubled PACT problem so that it is able to meet the needs of its contract-holders.
• Continue to keep the public fully informed about the work of the office.
• Look for efficiencies in keeping track of the state’s business.
