Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin announced Tuesday the appointment of Mashonda Taylor, executive director of Woodlawn United, to the Birmingham Water Works Board.

Taylor replaces Chris Rice, the former BWWB board chairman, who resigned in September following months of public scrutiny related to the billing issues and criticism on social media from Woodfin and others.

“Mashonda Taylor is a committed leader in our community with a proven record of cultivating and nurturing relationships for the greater good,” Woodfin said.

Taylor’s appointment comes at a time when relationships between the BWWB and the wider community of thousands of water works customers remains strained because of more than a year of billing problems traced to management issues and staffing shortages which led to bills many customers were unable to pay. And the new member joins just a couple of weeks before the BWWB, now contending its billing issues are in the past, plans to start cutting off water service for delinquent customers. A

At its December meeting, the board elected Tereshia Huffman as chair, replacing Rice.

A Birmingham native, Taylor holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University New Orleans and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. She serves on several boards, including the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, James Ruston Early Learning Center and Jones Valley Teaching Farm.

Taylor’s appointment is effective immediately; her term expires on December 31, 2024.

The board’s next meeting is Wednesday, January 25.