With all nine seats on the often-contentious and in-fighting Birmingham Water Works Board expiring at the end of 2024, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin says, “This is an opportunity to get it right.”

On Tuesday, Woodfin will announce the appointments of Dr. Monique Witherspoon, associate professor and associate dean in the educational leadership department at Samford University’s school of education; and Dr. Andre’ McShan, an occupational physician and The Workplace at UAB Highlands to fill the mayor’s two seats on the board.

The Birmingham City Council, with four seats, is expected to confirm reappointing current board chair Tereshia Huffman and member Larry Ward, along with appointing new members Jonathan Harris, a retired Water Works water treatment manager; and Ivan W. Holloway, executive director at Urban Impact, who has experience in real estate development.

“We’re looking at skill sets,” said City Council President Darrell O‘Quinn. There is some degree of relationships involved, but we’re looking at people’s resumes and what they’re bringing to the table.

The Shelby County and Blount County Commissions, and the Jefferson County Mayor’s Association each have one board seat appointment. None has yet revealed their appointees.

Adds Woodfin: “If there was ever an opportunity to elect a board of people who understood what board governance means, playing ‘team’ means, effective communications, having boring meetings, not fighting each other, taking care of the customer, having good response and communication with customer complaints and addressing those issues, hiring a good CEO and letting that CEO be responsible for the day-to-day of their job and handle the work of the organization and employees, then everything else should work itself out.”

In 2022, as the BWWB was embroiled in disputes over egregiously high customer bills, Woodfin publicly blasted the board: “I expect immediate accountability & answers from this board,” he said then. “I will not allow our most vulnerable residents to be victimized by mismanagement by this board. I will continue to push for answers until our residents receive the accountability and customer service they deserve.”

Harris retired in January 2023 after 29 years and 9 months at the Water Works. He fills the seat of Ronald Mims, another former Water Works employee, who died in Oct. 2023 after a long illness.

“In replacing that role there was consideration given to again having someone with experience as an employee represented on the board,” said O’Quinn.

Current Board members George Munchus (a council appointment) and Lucien Blankenship (mayor) were not reappointed. In October a Jefferson County judge dismissed a lawsuit in which the two men allege the board refused to pay them a $1,000 monthly board stipend because they would not sign a “loyalty pledge,” as Huffman insisted.

Current board members‘ terms end on December 31, 2024. The new board members’ four-year terms will begin on January 1, 2025.