Following the untimely death of her husband, Senator Michael A. Figures, Vivian Davis Figures was first elected to the Alabama Senate in a special election on January 28, 1997. She has since proven to be a strong advocate for Alabama's children and a proponent for improved education. Senator Vivian Davis Figures was re-elected to the Senate in 1998 without opposition.

Figures serves as Chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, underscoring her long-standing interest in education. She has continued her late-husband's work with the Children First legislation, and she led the effort in creating and passing legislation that led to the first additional funding of the Mobile County School System in 40 years in May 2001.

In the August 2001 special session, Senator Figures introduced legislation to provide for tougher background checks for all education employees, garnering the support of the State Superintendent of Education, the Alabama Association of School Boards, Voices for Alabama's Children, Children First, the Alabama PTA and A+.

In addition to her legislative work to improve education, Senator Vivian Davis Figures has sponsored bills for patients' rights, including "Vanessa's Law," which provides Medicaid recipients with coverage for breast reconstructive surgery following a mastectomy. Senator figures has also fought to safeguard our environment through legislation such as the Clean Indoor Air Act. She is Vice Chairwoman of the Senate's Local Delegation and the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. Senator Figures serves on the Judiciary; Finance and Taxation General Fund; and Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability Committees. She also serves on the Joint Transportation and the Children First Oversight Committee.

A native of Mobile, Senator Figures attended Mobile County Public Schools and received a B.S. Degree in Management Science from the University of New Haven. A former member of the Mobile City Council, Senator Figures is a businesswoman and serves as a board member of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA Youth Legislature and the Alabama School of Math and Science. She is a member of the Advisory Board for the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, the Southern Regional Education Board Legislative Council and the Bay Area Chapter of the American Business Women's Association. She also serves as a member of the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee and the Alabama New South Coalition.

Senator Figures served five consecutive terms as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. In 1999, then-U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman selected Senator Figures as her protégé. Senator Figures was named a Pacesetter at the 2000 Southern Women in Public Service Conference. She was one of 35 state legislators selected from across the nation in 2000 to participate in the Council for Policy Alternatives Flemming Fellows Leadership Institute. Senator Figures graduated from Leadership Alabama in 2001 and received the GMAC Bowl Champion of Life Award last year. She is the 2002 Senate recipient of the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools' (CLAS) Legislative Leadership Award.

Senator Figures is the proud mother of three sons, Akil Michael, Shomari Coleman and Jelani Anthony.