Northport Native, TCHS Grad Adam Telle Named Acting Secretary Of The Army

NORTHPORT, AL — A Northport native and Tuscaloosa County High School graduate has been named the acting secretary of the U.S. Army.

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President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Adam Telle, who has served since last year as assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, will take over as acting Army secretary following the departure of Dan Driscoll.

"I am pleased to announce that Adam Telle, the current Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, will become Acting Secretary of the Army, effective immediately," Trump said in a social media post shared Thursday. "He is a Great Patriot, who is respected by all."

The appointment represents a rapid rise for Telle, a 2000 graduate of TCHS who was first nominated by Trump in March 2025 for the Army's top civilian position overseeing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

As Tuscaloosa Patch previously reported, Telle graduated from Mississippi State University in 2005 with degrees in journalism and computer science before embarking on a career that would span more than two decades in Washington.

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, was among those congratulating Telle on Thursday, highlighting his ties to West Alabama.

"I've often said Alabama is the most pro-military and pro-service member state in the country. Now one of our own will be leading the Army," Tuberville said. "Congratulations to Northport's Adam Telle on being chosen as the Acting Secretary. Adam has done an outstanding job with the Army Corps of Engineers and has been a great partner. I have no doubt he will succeed in his new role."

Telle's Washington résumé includes more than 20 years working for Republican senators and in the White House.

He spent 18 months in the Trump White House during the president's first term, where he led Senate operations in the Office of Legislative Affairs and served as Trump's chief liaison to the Senate.

Before joining the Trump administration for his current stint, Telle spent four years as chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee. Earlier in his career, he worked for longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama and spent roughly a decade working for the late Republican U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi.

In his position, his portfolio included commercial navigation, flood damage reduction and Clean Water Act permitting, according to the AP.

The Associated Press also reported Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's praise of the appointment, describing Telle as "strong and whip smart" and saying he would be an immediate asset to the Army.

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting

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