Chris Blankenship to retire after 32 years with ADCNR

Chris Blankenship, who has led the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for more than nine years, will retire at the end of September, Governor Kay Ivey announced Tuesday.

Blankenship, a Dauphin Island native, has spent 32 years with the department. He joined ADCNR in 1994 as a conservation enforcement officer with the Marine Resources Division.

He eventually became deputy commissioner and was serving in that role when Ivey became governor in 2017 following the resignation of Governor Robert Bentley. Ivey appointed Blankenship acting commissioner that summer and made him permanent commissioner later that year.

As commissioner, Blankenship has overseen the state's efforts to manage and protect its wildlife, waterways, marine resources, state parks and other public lands.

His tenure also included a major expansion of projects funded through the RESTORE Act, which directs money from fines and other payments related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill toward Gulf Coast restoration.

The projects have included land conservation, watershed improvements and efforts to give the public better access to the water.

Ivey praised Blankenship's work Tuesday, saying he had been a key part of her administration's conservation efforts.

“God has truly blessed the state of Alabama, and for more than 30 years, Chris has been a part of protecting and enhancing our natural resources. I congratulate him on a job well-done, and I know he has a lot left to give. I am confident our state will continue benefitting from his contributions in the years ahead,” Ivey said.

Blankenship thanked Ivey for allowing him to serve as commissioner and said he was proud of his time with the department.

“Truly, I believe there is no governor who has done more for the state’s conservation efforts than Governor Kay Ivey. I am confident that we are leaving the agency and our resources better than we found them and I will be watching for more good work during the remainder of Governor Ivey’s term,” Blankenship said.

Mobile businessman Ben Stimpson Jr. will replace Blankenship as commissioner. He will begin the job October 1 and serve through the remainder of Ivey's term.

Stimpson previously served on the state's Conservation Advisory Board but resigned to accept the commissioner position.

He is the former director of corporate operations for Scotch Gulf and Canfor Southern Pine. He also served as chairman of the Alabama Port Authority in 2023.

Stimpson has been associated with the Alabama Wildlife Federation and the Southeastern Lumbermen's Manufacturers Association.

“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve Governor Kay Ivey and the people of Alabama as Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,” Stimpson said.

John “Bo” Cross, owner and CEO of Gulf Coast Truck & Equipment Co., will replace Stimpson on the Conservation Advisory Board, according to Ivey's office.