By Solomon Crenshaw Jr. | The Birmingham Times
Looking back on a political career that includes two terms on the Birmingham Board of Education and three terms as Mayor, Randall Woodfin said his best training for elected office probably came from working at a supermarket and a downtown Birmingham hotel – two jobs where customer service were paramount, he said
At age 15, he bagged groceries at the Western Supermarket on Crestwood Boulevard “and then at the same grocery store I ended up being a cashier,” he told the Birmingham Times in an interview ahead of his November 25 inauguration for a third term. “I did display work (and) I did stocking and receiving. I did everything. I ended up being like an acting deputy manager in the summer at 19. That’s where I learned the whole notion of the importance of customer service, which is our No. 1 core value that I’ve taken with me and applied here in this job as mayor.”
Later, Woodfin was a bellman at the Sheraton Hotel, which looks much different today after recent upgrades.
“I’ll never forget the coolest opportunity as bellman was [R&B legend] Prince did a show here in 2004,” the mayor said. “I think it was his last time in Birmingham, and his team came in advance. I took care of them so well (that) they gave me a ticket to the concert that I couldn’t use because I was working. I called my mom, who loved Prince. She got a chance to see Prince.
“But that was all because of how I took care of them,” he said. “They didn’t have to do that. Customer service. I apply it in this job every day as mayor.”
That level of service will keep residents in the city, said the mayor who believes people tend to leave Birmingham for one of three reasons – safety, their child’s education and an opportunity to get a job.
He outlined the priorities: “Neighborhood investments, so people can not only feel safe but actually are safe, education (and) job creation,” he said. “I want Birmingham to be a place where families move to and families who are already here don’t have to leave. They can feel safe, their child is educated and they can have gainful employment. That’s not rocket science. That just takes pulling everybody to the table, making sure we focus on those three things.”
Woodfin cited public safety, acknowledging having taken a page from Richard Arrington, the last Birmingham mayor to serve five terms.
“(Arrington) formed the Crime Commission and he made real recommendations,” the mayor said. “Then you saw crime go down before it went back up. I’m proud of the public-private partnership of this Crime Commission [established in October 2024 to address the city’s high homicide rate, which reached record levels that year], and I’m proud of what Chief [Michael] Pickett is doing … We can’t be everywhere. We can’t be in every apartment, every car, every home, but we’re going to hold people accountable.”
The mayor pointed out the homicides are down 50 percent in 2025 from where they were at this point in 2024 and police recruitment is up substantially.
Accountability
During his inauguration at the Boutwell Auditorium on Nov. 25, the mayor pointed to leaders who will help with his administration’s customer service. Reappointed to his executive team are Cedric D. Sparks, Sr., Chief of Staff; Ed Fields, Chief Strategist and Senior Advisor; Melissa E. Smiley, Chief Economic and Community Development Officer; and Chaz Mitchell, Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Sports and Entertainment.
The mayor also announced three new leadership roles: James Fowler as Chief of Public Infrastructure, Dr. Sylvia Bowen as Deputy Chief of Administrative Services, and Carlton Peeples as Deputy Chief of Public Safety.
To help address the problem of long-delayed projects Woodfin said Smiley “will make sure we hold internal and external team members accountable for moving projects and projects coming to fruition,” he said.
One of the most visible examples and one that has many residents wondering is the proposed Family Fun Center at the Birmingham CrossPlex. To date, the only visible evidence of that project is a fenced area on the CrossPlex campus.
Woodfin said, “[The Family Fun Center] is going to happen,’ … and [some] people didn’t honor their part. So, we’re back at the table trying to figure out how to land this plane.”
