Mac Underwood, a former longtime Birmingham Water Works general manager, was rehired for his old job this afternoon. (File)
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By Joseph D. Bryant | jbryant@al.com
The Birmingham Water Works Board has selected a new general manager, and it is a figure well-known to the agency.
Mac Underwood, a former longtime general manager who abruptly left his role more than six years ago, was rehired for his old job this afternoon.
Officials at the Water Works Board said they conducted a national search to select the utility’s next director. Underwood will receive an annual salary of $446,118, which officials said is based on a pay scale established through the most utility’s recent salary survey.
The agency received 59 applications and narrowed it down to 20, but in the end, the best candidate was already nearby, said Ronald L. Burgess Jr., a retired Army general and Auburn University executive, who was hired as a consultant to evaluate and recommend changes at the utility including selecting the next general manager.
“We had some very qualified candidates. Mac’s qualifications from a technical standpoint at the water works matched and clearly exceeded in a lot of cases,” Burgess said after the meeting. “What differentiates Mac is his understanding of culture, his understanding of the mission of this particular water works and the five counties it serves and being able to relate.
“I’ve watched the interaction of the employees and Mac, and that pushed it over the edge for me. There is mutual respect there and they recognize good leaders when they see it.”
Improvements Underway
Underwood said improvements at the utility are underway and would continue during his tenure. Major projects for 2025 include the first phase for the installation of automated meters to reduce billing and service issues.
Underwood initially served as general manager of the BWWB from 2005 to late 2018 before abruptly leaving the organization. Details of Underwood’s exit remained murky. Board members at the time voted unanimously to accept his resignation and end his employment.
But Underwood’s lawyer at the time denied that he voluntarily resigned. Today, Underwood declined to elaborate on circumstances behind his exit, and instead focused on his new tenure.
“It’s a new board, new time and this board recognizes the background and knowledge and experience that I bring to the table and we’re going to move forward with that and make it a positive situation,” he told AL.com this afternoon.
Underwood has not been completely absent from the utility over the years.
Underwood’s resurgence comes after a major shakeup last June when the board replaced then general manager Michael Johnson and most of the senior staff. Ironically, Johnson himself had replaced Underwood when he left the agency in 2018.
In August 2022, Underwood was hired as a consultant to help the utility manage its customer service crisis regarding faulty billing and collection.
Those long-standing problems also persisted during his tenure and were later attributed to a technical glitch within the utility’s software system along with the need for improved staff training.
Then, in September 2024, the board once again hired Underwood as its interim deputy general manager as the agency searched for a permanent leader.
Darryl Jones, another retired longtime employee of the water works, has served as interim general manager since June 2024. Jones was also tapped to continue to serve as a part-time consultant.
Underwood was finance director for the city of Birmingham for six years before joining the utility.
Speaker Removed
While the leadership vote was unanimous, the meeting was not without some controversy.
Before the vote, William Muhammad, an activist and former water works board member criticized the selection process as another example of unethical behavior by the board.
Muhammad said the board made the decision without transparency and accused some board members of unlawfully serving on the board. He was referring to the expired terms of some on the board who continue to serve.
Chairwoman Tereshia Huffman gave the order to remove Muhammad from the meeting when he called alleged corruption without specifically naming an individual.
Security guards physically escorted Muhammad out when he refused to stop talking before his three minutes were up.
“That wasn’t three minutes, you can’t stop me because you don’t like what I’m saying,” Muhammad protested. “She can’t stop me because she doesn’t like what I’m saying.”
After the meeting Huffman defended having Muhammad expelled, saying the rules of decorum must be followed.
“We have a standard of professionalism, we have a standard of leading with integrity and when someone tries to insult that integrity, as chair, I have a responsibility,” she said.
