Valerie A. Abbott

Birmingham City Councilor Valerie A. Abbott is Chair of the Planning and Zoning Committee and a member of the Administration, Budget and Finance, Governmental Affairs and Public Information, Public Improvements and Beautification Committees.

With the future of the City of Birmingham at the forefront, Councilor Abbott has been a champion of The Comprehensive Plan. The plan will set out a 20-year policy and strategic framework for the City of Birmingham.

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 City Council.

Councilor Abbott serves on the boards of the Birmingham Planning Commission, Birmingham Tree Commission, Birmingham Historical Society, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and has served as Chairman of the Board of the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham.

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. She is a proponent of all things green, including Birmingham’s recycling program, which is experiencing a rebirth.

Her credentials include a Bachelor’s Degree from the School of Architecture and Fine Arts at Auburn University and a Masters Degree in Public and Private Management from Birmingham Southern College. As an employee of AT&T Services, Inc. for the past 40 years, Council President 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 the Civitan Club to the Birmingham Tree Commission, Council President Abbott was named Birmingham’s “Unsung Hero” in 1993.