Raven Hatcher

Raven Hatcher (born November 28, 1994) is a student at Jefferson County International Baccalaureate and a former consultant to the Birmingham Parks & Recreation Board, having been contracted by Mayor Larry Langford following her presentation to the Birmingham City Council on proposed improvements at Ensley Park in November 2008.

Hatcher, then a student at W. J. Christian School, got involved with the project as a member of the Girl Scouts of America. She and her fellow Girl Scouts were planning a community event and had trouble finding a suitable venue for it. Hatcher then researched other park facilities and prepared a presentation to the City Council.

In response to her presentation, Langford declared that "This is a plan better than some folks [consultants] we pay huge money to." He offered her a $10,000 consulting contract to work with the Parks department on park improvements. Hatcher delivered her report to the city on September 15, 2009 and was paid the agreed-upon fee. She hoped to continue working to improve other parks and the Birmingham Zoo.

References

• Bryant, Joseph D. (November 25, 2008) "Langford hires 13-year-old as consultant on parks." The Birmingham News
• Bryant, Joseph D. (September 15, 2009) "Updated: Birmingham mayor presents $10,000 check to 14-year-old." The Birmingham News

External links

• Raven Hatcher reciting a poem at "Word Up 2013" at Birmingham Public Library