CONTRIBUTE

Katie Schafer for Birmingham

MEET KATIE SCHAFER

Hi, I’m Katie!

It’s nice to meet you. I’m a Birmingham resident, mom to two young boys and a pediatrician and business owner, who would like to be your voice on the Birmingham City Commission.

Why would you choose me to represent you? As a Birmingham resident of 14 years, who is deeply invested in the community where I’m raising my family, I would bring my energy and passion to continue to shape the future of Birmingham for all of us who are proud to call it home.

  • As a long-time resident, I will bring the perspective of all residents to this role to ensure that homeowners have the opportunity for their concerns to be heard and addressed.
  • As a parent, I will ensure that Birmingham is a safe, fun and diverse place for our children to grow and thrive. For example, by ensuring that our city parks continue to be a priority, as well as promoting diverse cultural and community events.
  • As a physician and business owner, I am skilled at listening, at problem-solving, but also at the practice of building something great in service of my community— the families and patients I care for every day. I’m uniquely qualified to listen to your concerns, use my experience and the breadth of expertise of our experienced city staff, to engage in discourse, formulate effective plans and execute them, with great fiscal awareness.
  • As a daughter, I was recently able to usher my mom (fondly known as “Mimi” by her five grandkids) from my childhood home to an adorable ranch here in Birmingham. Her presence here is a poignant reminder to me, every day, of the unique needs of our seniors.

What drew me to this role: I first became interested in city government attending meetings about bringing more sidewalks to our streets. Why? To make our streets safer. Starting as a passionate community member, I developed a keen interest in how a city works, grows and evolves.

Graduating from the Citizens Academy in 2017, I was able to learn about how city government works and contributes to making Birmingham the thriving city it is. After that, I was appointed as the pedestrian advocate on the Multi-Modal Transportation Board, — here we discuss all things related to the safety and welfare of Birmingham’s residents who walk, bike, stroll, scooter and drive — proudly I am still a member today.

Further work on the Ad Hoc Unimproved Streets Committee, was where I was able to contribute to a draft plan to address the 26 miles of residential roads in Birmingham that are long overdue for improvement.

I believe in listening to all voices and being a passionate advocate for your ideas and concerns.

I hope I can count on your vote on November 2nd!