Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed is appointing Donald Watkins, Jr. as the City’s new small business development director.
According to the Montgomery Personnel Board, Reed is requesting the board approve his appointment of Watkins at a salary of $120,960 at an upcoming meeting.
Watkins Jr. and his father, Donald Watkins, were convicted in 2019 for running a “complex investment fraud scheme by which they stole more than $10 million over the course of seven years,” according to the DOJ.
Watkins Jr. was convicted of one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy. He was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution jointly with his father in the amount of $13,850,000.
A Reed spokesman told Yellowhammer News in 2019 that Watkins Jr. was a “lifelong friend” of Reed in response to a story about a $250 donation from Watkins Jr. to Reed’s mayoral campaign.
According to the Montgomery Personnel Board, the small business development director will “lead the City of Montgomery efforts in growing and sustaining its small business ecosystem. The position directs the City of Montgomery small business programs including SBOSS (Small Business One-Stop Shop), Access Montgomery, and coordinates initiatives that empower entrepreneurs to launch, grow, and thrive. This role is central to ensure equitable access to capital, expanding support services for small business, and building a resilient inclusive local economy. These efforts will mobilize financial and technical resources through public -private partnerships, including cultivating investments from banks, philanthropic organizations and government agencies. The position reports directly to the Director of Economic Development.”
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