Alabama Family Trust has made changes to its board of directors as it mourns the passing of its former board chairman.
Clayton Davis, a respected attorney who was President of the AFT Board of Directors, passed away Oct. 14. He has served on AFT’s board since 2011.
“Clayton did so much over the years to position Alabama Family Trust as a resource for families who wanted to create trusts to provide for their senior or disabled family members,” AFT Executive Director Lesley Byars said. “He was known as one of the state’s leading attorneys in elder law, and AFT is blessed that he chose to work with us to help our elderly and disabled clients live their lives to the fullest.”
Alabama Family Trust is a non-profit entity established by the Alabama Legislature help families hold funds in trust so they can provide for their senior or disabled loved ones in a manner that helps them qualify to receive needs-based government benefits, like Social Security Income and/or Medicaid.
In the wake of Davis’ passing, the AFT board has named noted elder care attorney Jennifer Q. Griffin as its new president. Griffin had been AFT’s vice president since 2021 and was the board’s secretary before that. She has served on the AFT board since 2014.
A partner with Birmingham firm Campisi Law, Griffin’s practice is focused in the areas of elder law, estate planning, elder law, Medicaid planning for long term care, trust administration, probate, guardianship and conservatorship.
She is an Accredited Estate Planner (AEP®) and a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA). The CELA certification is awarded by the National Elder Law Foundation which certifies practitioners in elder and special needs law. Griffin has served as chairperson of the Alabama State Bar Association’s Elder Law Section, and chairperson and court liaison of the Birmingham Bar Association’s Probate Section. She has also served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Birmingham Bar. She currently serves on the Board of the Estate Planning Council of Birmingham, Inc.
Griffin is a graduate of Alabama State University and The University of Alabama School of Law.
Wallace T. Davis, AFT’s former board secretary, has been named the board’s vice chairman. He retired as the president and chief executive officer of Volunteers of America Southeast Inc. in 2021 after providing leadership for this affiliate for more than 40 years. Davis hosts “Uplifting Moments” on four Mobile radio stations.
Davis is a graduate of Samford University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, with a Bachelor of Science in education, a Master of Theology and a Doctorate of Philosophy in psychology and counseling.
LaTanya D. Rhines, a member of AFT’s board since 2020, has been named the board’s secretary. She is an elder law attorney who has served as the legal provider for the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments’ Area Agency on Aging, where she provides legal assistance to individuals aged 60 and over living in a five-county region. Much of her work centers around estate planning, institutional Medicaid, benefits counseling and long-term care issues.
Rhines received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English (honors) and criminal justice from The University of Alabama in 1993. She received her Juris Doctorate Degree from The University of Alabama School of Law in 1996.
Jimmy Walsh remains as treasurer of the AFT board. He is a litigation attorney and partner at Rumberger, Kirk and Caldwell in Birmingham. He is an active member of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and is immediate past state president.
Clayton Davis was a partner with Davis & Associates, Attorneys at Law. His practice focused on seniors and disabled persons. He received his B.S. in mathematics, piano, and German from the University of Alabama in 1975 and his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law 1978.