City of Birmingham, Alabama Hires Chief Resilience and Sustainability Officer: 4 Things to Know

The City of Birmingham, Alabama, has hired Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop as chief resilience and sustainability officer for the City of Birmingham. Here are four things to know about the city; Bloodworth Botop's experience and near-term sustainability priorities.

1. City Overview: Birmingham (196,910 residents as of 2023) is Alabama's second-largest city, trailing only Huntsville.The broader Birmingham metropolitan area had a 2020 population of 1.1 million, Wikipedia reported. During the 1950s and 1960s, Birmingham was largely considered the center of the civil rights struggle for African-Americans, Wikipedia notes.

2. Sustainability Goals: The Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability, led by Bloodworth Botop, will "develop a comprehensive framework to enable our community to become more resilient to acute shocks such as natural disasters, infrastructure failures or economic shifts and stresses such as systemic inequality, lack of affordable housing or accessible public transportation. This framework will provide guidance that will enhance public safety, strengthen emergency response systems, and ensure the security of all residents," the city said.

3. Professional Experience: Bloodworth Botop previously was executive director of EBSCO Community Impact at EBSCO Industries, where she led activities to support the organization's charitable giving. Earlier, she was senior VP of community and economic development at Hope Enterprise Corp., an organization designed to "strengthen the financial health and wealth of people in under-resourced Deep South communities." Bloodworth Botop also held key posts for Baldwin County, Alabama; the Cty of Fairhope, Alabama; the American Institute of Architechs and more.

During her career, Bloodworth Botop has "worked with local city and county governments to develop and implement plans and programs aimed at improving the quality of life for all residents with a focus on the natural and built environment, transportation, disaster mitigation and housing," according to an announcement from the City of Birmingham, Alabama

Moreover, she was part of the team that worked with The Rockefeller Foundation to launch 100 Resilient Cities, an international program that created the Chief Resilience Officer role in 100 urban cities around the world, her hiring memo noted.

4. Leadership Perspectives: In a prepared statement, Mayor Randall Woodfin said: “Sherry-Lea is a proven strategist in addressing social, economic, and physical challenges in communities on a local, national and global leve. Not only does she bring her 15 years of expertise, but she also brings a heart of compassion and commitment to making our community a better place.”

Added Bloodworth Botop: “Recognizing the rich diversity of Birmingham, this plan will view actions through the lens of social equity, cultural preservation and economic empowerment. It seeks to address systemic disparities, uplift marginalized communities and ensure that all residents—regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status—benefit from sustainable growth, resilient infrastructure and access to renewable resources.”

“I care about this community, the rich history and culture here, the people. I look forward to the opportunity to work with Birmingham’s leaders and stakeholders and to implement strategies to help protect and grow this great city in ways that benefit the whole community.”

Chief Sustainability Officers: Why Technology Partners Should Care

By 2027, 25% of Global 2000 companies will have assigned a chief sustainability officer (CSO) responsible for meeting their organization’s ESG goals and making ESG-related IT purchasing decisions, according to IDC.

The bottom line: Technology partners need to extend their sales, marketing, engagement and support strategies to successfully fulfill those CSO customer needs, Sustainable Tech Partner believes.