Maxine Parker
Maxine Herring Parker (born c. 1944) represents District 4 in the Birmingham City Council. Previously she worked for 41 years as an administrator at Talladega College, most recently as executive assistant to the president before retiring.
Parker attended Booker T. Washington Business College and Talladega College. She has served as president of the Collegeville neighborhood association and the North Birmingham community. Parker is also a member of and the clerk-secretary for Oak Street Baptist Church.
She was first elected to the City Council in the 2005 Birmingham City Council election, easily defeating incumbent Gwen Sykes and winning a runoff with Hezekiah Jackson IV. In the 2009 Birmingham City Council election she easily defeated challengers Ondray Agee, Earnest Lumpkin, and Robert L. Walker. She was challenged by former Birmingham Board of Education member Edward Maddox in the 2013 Birmingham municipal election.
On the Council Parker serves as chair of the Park, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Committee and is a member of the Public Improvement committee and the Utilities committee. She has earned a reputation as a no-nonsense councilor, making points from the dais with an unusual economy of words and a minimum of bluster. She has hosted tours of her district for other council members and hosts and also organized an annual "town hall meeting" for her constituents.
In 2008 Parker lobbied for federal funding for a Finley Avenue flyover as part of a proposed economic stimulus bill. In 2010 she sought state funding for an overpass where 34th Street North crosses railroad tracks and a pedestrian bridge over the same tracks where they cross Fred L. Shuttlesworth Drive near Hudson K-8 School in Collegeville. The Council agreed to provide 20% matching funds for those projects in March 2010.
| Preceded by: Gwen Sykes |
Birmingham City Council District 4 2005 - present |
Succeeded by: current |
References
- Whitmire, Kyle (October 12, 2006) "Making the Grade: Birmingham Councilors earn their marks." Birmingham Weekly
- Bryant, Joseph D. (December 8, 2008) "Birmingham councilwoman Parker wants Finley Boulevard fly-over in economic stimulus bill." The Birmingham News
- "Birmingham City Councilwoman Maxine Parker's legacy may be Finley Boulevard flyover to rescue Collegeville neighborhood." editorial (July 18, 2009) The Birmingham News
- "Birmingham City Council elections: District 4 candidate Maxine Herring Parker" (August 16, 2009) The Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (March 30, 2010) "Birmingham City Council supports Collegeville overpasses." The Birmingham News
- Diel, Stan (August 23, 2013) "Crime, blight, schools are biggest concerns in Birmingham's District 4 as elections approach Tuesday." The Birmingham News
External links
- Parker's council bio at informationbirmingham.com