Carole Smitherman: Difference between revisions
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'''Carole Catlin Smitherman''' (born [[1952]]) is the sitting President of the [[Birmingham City Council]]. She represents [[Birmingham City Council District 6|District 6]] and also serves as Chair of the Administration, Budget & Finance Committee and as a member of the Economic Development & Job Recruitment and Education committees. She was first elected to the City Council in [[2001]] and has been re-elected twice. Her current term ends in [[2009]]. | '''Carole Catlin Smitherman''' (born [[1952]]) is the sitting President of the [[Birmingham City Council]]. She represents [[Birmingham City Council District 6|District 6]] and also serves as Chair of the Administration, Budget & Finance Committee and as a member of the Economic Development & Job Recruitment and Education committees. She was first elected to the City Council in [[2001]] and has been re-elected twice. Her current term ends in [[2009]]. | ||
Smitherman and her brother were adopted by her grandmother, a [[Lawson State Community College]] teacher, after her mother remarried and moved to New York. She graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta and received her Juris Doctorate from [[Miles College]] in [[1979]], graduating first in her class | Smitherman and her brother were adopted by her grandmother, a [[Lawson State Community College]] teacher, after her mother remarried and moved to New York. She graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta and received her Juris Doctorate from [[Miles College]] in [[1979]], graduating first in her class. | ||
Smitherman was the first African-American woman to serve as a circuit court judge in Alabama. She and her husband, Alabama State Senator [[Rodger Smitherman]], combined their law practices in [[1993]] and maintain an office at 2029 [[2nd Avenue North]]. | |||
She was the prosecutor for the City of [[Irondale]] until October [[2008]]. She was fired shortly after the City of Birmingham approved a $55 million package of incentives for [[Trinity Medical Center]] to relocate to the [[HealthSouth digital hospital]] instead of to a site in Irondale. | |||
==Political career== | |||
[[Image:Smitherman 2007.JPG|left||175px]] | [[Image:Smitherman 2007.JPG|left||175px]] | ||
Smitherman finished 4,000 votes behind winner [[Bernard Kincaid]] in the [[2003 Birmingham mayoral election]] runoff. She won the City Council presidency by virtue of seniority after the [[2005 Birmingham City Council election]]. In [[2007 Birmingham mayoral election|2007]] she again launched a mayoral campaign, with the slogan "Birmingham Can, Smitherman Will". In that race she placed 5th of 10 candidates in the field, earning 1,804 votes out of 52,111 cast (3.46%) | Smitherman finished 4,000 votes behind winner [[Bernard Kincaid]] in the [[2003 Birmingham mayoral election]] runoff. She won the City Council presidency by virtue of seniority after the [[2005 Birmingham City Council election]]. In [[2007 Birmingham mayoral election|2007]] she again launched a mayoral campaign, with the slogan "Birmingham Can, Smitherman Will". In that race she placed 5th of 10 candidates in the field, earning 1,804 votes out of 52,111 cast (3.46%) | ||
Smitherman claims the following accomplishments in her official biography: | Smitherman claims the following accomplishments in her official biography: | ||
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* Initiating Economic Development Summits to address concerns and challenges faced by small businesses and corporations operating in Birmingham. | * Initiating Economic Development Summits to address concerns and challenges faced by small businesses and corporations operating in Birmingham. | ||
Smitherman was a childhood friend of Secretary of State [[Condoleezza Rice]] and, in 2004, invited her to visit Birmingham. | Smitherman was a childhood friend of Secretary of State [[Condoleezza Rice]] and, in 2004, invited her to visit Birmingham. The Smithermans have four children. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
* Bryant, Joseph D. (September 2, 2007) "Hopefuls have just weeks to win votes." ''Birmingham News'' | * Bryant, Joseph D. (September 2, 2007) "Hopefuls have just weeks to win votes." ''Birmingham News'' | ||
* Wolfson, Hannah (September 24, 2007) "Smitherman brings heart, endurance to race." ''Birmingham News''. | * Wolfson, Hannah (September 24, 2007) "Smitherman brings heart, endurance to race." ''Birmingham News'' | ||
* Bryant, Joseph D. and Anita Debro (October 3, 2008) "irmingham City Council President Carole Smitherman calls firing from Irondale post retaliation." ''Birmingham News'' | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Revision as of 10:03, 3 October 2008
Carole Catlin Smitherman (born 1952) is the sitting President of the Birmingham City Council. She represents District 6 and also serves as Chair of the Administration, Budget & Finance Committee and as a member of the Economic Development & Job Recruitment and Education committees. She was first elected to the City Council in 2001 and has been re-elected twice. Her current term ends in 2009.
Smitherman and her brother were adopted by her grandmother, a Lawson State Community College teacher, after her mother remarried and moved to New York. She graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta and received her Juris Doctorate from Miles College in 1979, graduating first in her class.
Smitherman was the first African-American woman to serve as a circuit court judge in Alabama. She and her husband, Alabama State Senator Rodger Smitherman, combined their law practices in 1993 and maintain an office at 2029 2nd Avenue North.
She was the prosecutor for the City of Irondale until October 2008. She was fired shortly after the City of Birmingham approved a $55 million package of incentives for Trinity Medical Center to relocate to the HealthSouth digital hospital instead of to a site in Irondale.
Political career
Smitherman finished 4,000 votes behind winner Bernard Kincaid in the 2003 Birmingham mayoral election runoff. She won the City Council presidency by virtue of seniority after the 2005 Birmingham City Council election. In 2007 she again launched a mayoral campaign, with the slogan "Birmingham Can, Smitherman Will". In that race she placed 5th of 10 candidates in the field, earning 1,804 votes out of 52,111 cast (3.46%)
Smitherman claims the following accomplishments in her official biography:
- Establishing an oratorical context for Birmingham students to develop language proficiency.
- Creating the Children of the Village program, aimed at teaching strategies for success
- Supporting Strings for Students to give children access to classical music training.
- Initiating Economic Development Summits to address concerns and challenges faced by small businesses and corporations operating in Birmingham.
Smitherman was a childhood friend of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and, in 2004, invited her to visit Birmingham. The Smithermans have four children.
References
- Bryant, Joseph D. (September 2, 2007) "Hopefuls have just weeks to win votes." Birmingham News
- Wolfson, Hannah (September 24, 2007) "Smitherman brings heart, endurance to race." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. and Anita Debro (October 3, 2008) "irmingham City Council President Carole Smitherman calls firing from Irondale post retaliation." Birmingham News
External links
- Smitherman page at informationbirmingham.com
- Smitherman for Mayor website
- Smitherman's responses to a Birmingham News questionnaire for the 2007 mayoral election