Salute to William A. Bell, Sr:

The 33rd Mayor of the City of Birmingham, Alabama.

He is one of Birmingham’s most dynamic, effective and respected public

servants with a political career that spans over 30 years. In 1979, Mayor

Bell was elected to the Birmingham City Council and served for over 25

years. In 1985, his peers elected him to serve as the first African American City Council President. He was again chosen President in 1987

and 1997. During his tenure on the Council, he was instrumental in

putting procedures in place, such as the Consent Agenda, that are still in

use today. He was a champion for education and affordable housing and

led the implementation of many city-wide projects that supported those

efforts. In 2009, he was elected to serve on the Jefferson County Commission representing

District 1, where he fought to save jobs and provide adequate healthcare for

the residents of Jefferson County. In 2010, he was elected Mayor of

Birmingham and was re-elected in 2011 and at the time of his election,

Birmingham was in the midst of an economic slow-down and was in need of

solid, visionary leadership. Armed with a solid background of proven

leadership, diplomacy and vision, Mayor Bell was ready to answer the call.