Greenville native Beth (Killough) Chapman, a statewide republican activist, recently announced her candidacy for state auditor.

Chapman was the first announced candidate for the statewide position.

Chapman was a cabinet member for Gov. Fob James for the first two years of his last administration.

She is the only woman in history to serve as a Governor's Appointments Secretary.

During her tenure, she assisted with over 1,500 appointments including 38 judges and members of all state boards and commissions.

Chapman left James' Administration to start her own company, Beth Chapman & Associates, LLC, a political and public relations consulting firm.

She has worked for various charitable organizations and such successful republicans as George Wallace Jr., and Supreme Court Justice Lyn Stuart.

She has organized special events featuring Mayor Rudolph Guiliani in his race against Hillary Clinton and Charlton Heston for his conservative ARENA PAC.

She also served as Press Secretary for Lt. Gov. Steve Windom working closely with the Alabama Senate.

"I have had the privilege to work on the campaigns of many outstanding republicans, but I've decided it's time to stop standing on the sidelines working so hard and cheering for someone else to do something I can do myself

serve the people of Alabama," she concluded.

Chapman says most candidates make several campaign promises but she only makes one

honesty and integrity in government. "That's all most people want," said Chapman. "If our leaders have honesty and integrity, then their priorities will fall appropriately into place," she added.

Chapman won her first political race last year when she was one in a field of nine (three were elected officials), to run as a statewide Bush delegate to the Republican National Convention.

She won by almost 2,000 votes.

Chapman is presently the chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party, which boasts the largest Republican voting percentages in the state.

She serves in many capacities in Shelby County such as director of the Court Appointed Special Advocates, a child abuse prevention organization.

She was unanimously appointed by the Shelby County Commission to serve on the Planning and Zoning Commission where she served almost two years.

She works with multiple organizations and writes a bi-weekly column for the Shelby County Reporter.

Beth (Killough) Chapman graduated from Fort Dale Academy, completed her B.S. degree at the University of Montevallo and her master's degree Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a graduate of the Women Executives in State Government Management Institute at Princeton University.

Chapman lives in North Shelby County with her husband James and their two sons, Taylor and Thatcher.

They are active members of Lakeside Baptist Church.