Biden Appoints Birmingham’s Woodfin to Council on Historic Preservation; Mayor Sworn In
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) Chair Sara C. Bronin on Friday administered the oath of office to the new ACHP Mayor Member Randall L. Woodfin, mayor of Birmingham, Alabama. President Joe Biden appointed Woodfin to the ACHP for a term ending June 2025.
“On behalf of the ACHP members and staff, I am pleased to welcome Mayor Randall Woodfin, a politician who centers education and equitable revitalization to the ACHP,” Bronin said. “The American people and our federal preservation program will benefit greatly from his expertise and passion, and I look forward to working with him to advance the ACHP’s mission of promoting the preservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of our nation’s diverse historic resources, and advising the President and the Congress on national historic preservation policy.”
Woodfin was first elected mayor in 2017 and is serving his second term.
“Every day, I have the honor of walking streets, entering buildings and engaging residents that are a part of our sacred Civil Rights history,” Woodfin said. “Birmingham is known internationally for its campaign for social justice and the many acts of heroism that took place here. Our stories are celebrated and preserved in many treasured buildings and national historic landmarks, and as mayor, I consider it my duty to serve as a champion and guardian of these places and their stories.
“I am honored to expand this guardianship in service to our country as a member of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Now, more than ever, we must honor our past and remember its lessons. This is a solemn duty, and I look forward to serving.”
As mayor, Woodfin’s philosophy of “putting people first” has guided his leadership. Revitalization of the city’s neighborhoods is his top priority. He is focused on enhancing education, fostering a climate of economic opportunity for all residents and leveraging public-private partnerships to make the city the best version of Birmingham it can be.
His vision to create new education and career opportunities for students led to Birmingham Promise, a public-private partnership that provides apprenticeships and tuition assistance to cover college costs for Birmingham high school graduates. Under Woodfin’s leadership, the city completed exterior renovations on the historic A.G. Gaston Motel, a significant meeting place during the Civil Rights Movement and a centerpiece of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.
Woodfin is a graduate of Morehouse College, where he majored in political science. He earned a Juris Doctor from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.
The ACHP promotes the economic, educational, environmental, sustainability, and cultural values of historic preservation and advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy. It also influences federal activities, programs, and policies that affect historic and cultural properties. See www.achp.gov for more information.
This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.
