Councilor Valerie A. Abbott
Chairwoman of Planning & Zoning Committee
Valerie A. Abbott was elected to her first term on the City Council in 2001. Four years later, her constituents resoundingly elected her to a second term as the Council representative for District 3 with nearly 80% of the vote.
Her seemingly endless schedule of neighborhood meetings and community events is her way of learning about the needs and concerns of citizens throughout Birmingham, and ensures that she is knowledgeable when issues affecting various neighborhoods come before the Council.
She has collaborated with her fellow Councilors and city staff to revise ordinances regulating noise, smoking, and fences. An avid gardener and nature enthusiast, her pursuit of neighborhood health and revitalization has resulted in two community gardens, including a national award-winning project in East Avondale.
Councilor Abbott chairs the Planning and Zoning Committee and is a member of the Public Safety and Administration, Finance and Budget Committees. She also serves on the boards of the Birmingham Planning Commission, Birmingham Tree Commission, Birmingham Historical Society, Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, Birmingham Urban Soccer for Youth (BUSY) and the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Her credentials include a Bachelors degree from the School of Architecture & Fine Arts at Auburn University and a Masters degree in Public & Private Management from Birmingham Southern College. An employee of AT&T Services, Inc.,
Councilor Abbott has deep roots in the community’s business sector as well as within its neighborhoods. The recipient of numerous volunteer awards from groups ranging from Civitan to the Birmingham Tree Commission, Abbott was named Birmingham’s “Unsung Hero” for 1993. Valerie and her husband Rod have one son and three grandchildren.
