Ivey was born in Camden, Alabama, on October 15, 1944. She earned a degree in secondary education from Auburn University in 1967. After teaching high school in California for a few years, Ivey returned to Alabama and began working at the Merchants National Bank. She entered politics in 1979, working for Alabama Gov. Forrest James as an executive assistant for social services and an assistant director of the Alabama Development Office. Prior to holding public office, she also worked as a reading clerk for the Alabama House of Representatives and as a director of government affairs and communications for the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.
