Executive Team

Greg was named Executive Director in July 2020 after serving the League’s membership since 1996 as Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs and then Deputy Director and Interim Executive Director. With more than 30 years of experience in governmental affairs, he has developed crucial relationships at every level of government and has served as the League’s lead lobbyist for more than two decades. During the mid-1980s, he began working on political campaigns as a volunteer, including Montgomery Mayor Emory Folmar’s re-elections in 1984 and 1988. In 1990 Greg joined the staff of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama representing Alabama physicians for three years as the Director of Legislative Affairs. From 1993 until 1994 he served as Vice President of Governmental Relations for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. Greg returned to Montgomery in 1994, serving as the Vice President of Legislative Affairs for the Business Council of Alabama until 1996 when he was hired as the League’s first full-time staff lobbyist solely dedicated to state and federal legislative endeavors and governmental affairs. In 2006, Greg was named Executive Vice President of the Alabama Municipal Funding Corporation (AMFund), which was developed by the League to assist municipal members with refinancing existing debt and funding local projects and purchases through low-interest, cost-effective loans. He was elected AMFund President in 2008.

Greg is a longtime member of the Alabama Council of Association Executives where he was elected to serve as Treasurer (2007-08), Vice President (2008-09) and President (2009-10). He has also served on the Character Council of Alabama Board of Directors and was elected Vice Chairman for 2010-11. He has served as the Vice Chair of the Permanent Joint Legislative Committee for Energy Policy and the National League of Cities’ Public Finance Consortium where he has served as Chairman since 2011. Greg also served on the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Chapter, International Association of Expo Managers from 2003-2005. Greg earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives and graduated from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Chamber Institute. He is a 2018 graduate of the prestigious Delta Regional Executive Leadership Institute, a year-long executive leadership academy formed by the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) to train leaders from diverse backgrounds, sectors and industries across eight states to improve the economic competitiveness and social viability of the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt.

Greg attended the University of North Alabama and Troy State University majoring in Political Science. Greg was raised in a military family, growing up in Norfolk, VA, and Jacksonville, FL, where his father served in the U.S. Navy. He is married to Kelly Barclay Cochran and has two grown sons, William and Sanders. 

Email Kayla

Kayla was born in New Brockton, Alabama. She received her Associate of Arts degree at Enterprise State Community College in 2011 and her B.S. degree in journalism from Faulkner University in 2013. Prior to joining the Alabama League of Municipalities, Kayla served as the Communications Specialist to Governor Robert Bentley, Press Secretary to Alabama’s Secretary of State John Merrill and Communications Director for VOICES for Alabama’s Children.

Kayla currently serves as the Deputy Director for the Alabama League of Municipalities. In this role, she is directly responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the following departments: Advocacy, Communications, Member Services and Information Technology. Kayla will continue to provide direct lobbying support while the Legislature is in session and continue to oversee the League’s strategic partnership and membership engagement programs.

Prior to serving as Deputy Director, Kayla served as the League’s Director of External Affairs. As the Director of External Affairs, she worked to promote League legislative positions through the development and implementation of grassroots campaigns and specific advocacy strategies as well as year-round communications efforts by the League.

In 2017 she was named one of “30 Women Who Shape the State” by AL.com and Birmingham Magazine and in 2019 Kayla received the Faulkner University Young Alumna Award for the College of Arts and Sciences English, Humanities, Music, Great Books Honors Program.

Barry Crabb joined the League as its Deputy Finance Director in January 2020 and became Finance Director in July 2020. Barry has more than 30 years of experience in his field. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Alabama. He began his career in 1983 with Ernst & Young, an international public accounting firm. He then worked for Weil Brothers Cotton where he served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining the League staff, Barry served as the Finance Director for the City of Montgomery where he spent six years providing management, control and administration of all fiscal operations of the City, including development of long-range financial planning. In his spare time, Barry has served as a board member and past treasurer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the River Region. He is married to the former Marie Rene` (Rennie) Jordan. They have a son, Brent - he and his wife, Sarah, have two children. They also have a daughter, Jordan. Barry enjoys golf, running and reading.

Richard Buttenshaw was named the Director of Financial Services for the Alabama League of Municipalities on June 2020 and oversees day to day operations as President of the Municipal Workers Compensation Fund (MWCF), the Municipal Intercept Services (MIS) program and the AMFund program as well as the Municipal Revenue Services (MRS) program administered by a third party partner.

Prior to being named President of MWCF in October 2022, Richard served as the Operations Manager from July 2016, Assistant Operations Manager from December 2014 and in the Loss Control Division for 11 years as AMIC/MWCF's South Alabama Loss Control Representative. He earned his Associate in Risk Management for Public Entities (ARM-P) in 2005 and was subsequently honored with an ARM-P Award for Academic Excellence in 2007. He also received his Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation through The National Alliance in 2007. In 2010, he graduated 2nd in the Basic Claims Adjuster course offered through the Southern Farm Bureau Tech in Jackson, Mississippi, and in 2013, Richard achieved the prestigious Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, a nationally accredited non-profit corporation that establishes standards for and verifies minimum competency in professional safety practice. Richard also took the lead for several important advancements in the Loss Control Division, including a dedicated Loss Control website (losscontrol.org), a specialized internal app used by each Loss Control Representative in their site report process and an innovative, online professional development/training program via LocalGovU with courses on a variety of risk management and safety topics.

Originally from England, Richard earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Kingston University in England and was employed by Logica UK, Ltd in London as an Analyst Programmer where he worked with various governmental agencies. He also spent eight years working throughout the United States and the Caribbean in the scuba diving industry. He and his wife, Amanda, reside in Montgomery.

Originally from TN, Chuck earned his BS in Business Administration from Faulkner University and is a VMware Certified Professional. He joined the League staff in March 2010 as the Information Technology Specialist and became Director of Information Technology in 2016 responsible for all computer operations, technical support, systems analysis and programming. Chuck has three children and one grandchild. He and his wife Jennifer and their two youngest children live in Wetumpka where he coaches youth soccer. They attend Landmark Church of Christ where Chuck is a Bible class teacher.

Debra is a lifelong resident of Montgomery, Alabama, and has always been fascinated with its history. She attended Huntingdon College, receiving her BA in Elementary Education. While working at Alfa Insurance as a Homeowner Underwriter, Debra also received her Certificate in General Insurance. She spent 10 years at Alfa before becoming a stay-at-home mom for the next seven years. After being heavily involved in the Dalraida Elementary PTA, Debra was hired to work at the school where she served as inventory clerk, textbook coordinator, secretary and technology coordinator for 10 years.

From 2016 until 2020, Debra was Assistant to the Director at the Alabama Bicentennial Commission. In this role, she helped coordinate celebrations and commemorations that focused on Alabama’s 200th birthday. During her time with the Commission, she was fortunate to learn something new about the state nearly every day as well as interact with many elected officials, professionals, educators and volunteers from throughout Alabama

Debra joined the League in December 2020 and provides administrative support to the Advocacy Team; assists with meeting planning; and coordinates a variety of programs and activities. She and her husband Mike are parents to daughters Mandy and Haley, both living and working in the Birmingham area. Mike and Debra attend Eastern Hills Baptist Church where she is active in the adult choir and ensemble.