Birmingham Metro Newsmakers: Who Made Headlines In 2021

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Believe it or not, 2021 is coming to a close, and if we thought 2020 was a strange year, 2021 came pretty close as far as what the country went through — a riot at the Capitol, the pandemic worsened, the Atlanta Braves won the World Series and much more landmark events occurred.

Locally, there were hundreds of stories that stood out in the Birmingham metro in 2021, but here are 10 people who helped shape the news cycle in and around Birmingham this year:

Randall Woodfin

Mayor Randall Woodfin won his bid for re-election, which was not nearly as surprising as the manner in which he won. With seven challengers, Woodfin won without a runoff against the likes of former mayor William Bell and County Commissioner Lashunda Scales who were expected to mount a challenge to the incumbent mayor.

Mark Ingram

UAB athletic director Mark Ingram saw his name in the news for a variety of reasons in 2021, and with good reason. UAB's football team played its first game in the brand new Protective Stadium this fall, which was a huge story not just for UAB but for Birmingham as a whole. If that wasn't enough, Ingram made a major announcement that the school will leave Conference USA and join the American Athletic Conference. After UAB's Independence Bowl win over 13th-ranked BYU, the team looks to join the AAC after competing in Conference USA since 1995.

Tyler Davis

Mountain Brook High School has been a dominating force in basketball over the last decade, due in part to the success of longtime head coach Bucky McMillan. However, last summer McMillan accepted the head coaching job at Samford, and Tyler Davis was hired to take over in the Spartans' first season as a Class 6A school. Davis answered the call, as Mountain Brook won its sixth state title in eight seasons.

Dee Fowler

Hoover City Schools started the school year with a new leader, as Dee O. Fowler was named the superintendent for the system in May after an extended search by the Hoover Board of Education. The Board had narrowed the search down to five candidates, but after the interview process, opted to hire none of the finalists. Instead, the BOE chose Fowler after restarting its search to replace Kathy Murphy, who left Hoover to take the president's job at Gadsden State Community College.

Dr. Mark Wilson

Jefferson County health director Dr. Mark Wilson made this list last year as well, as he again was one of the more controversial figures in the metro area. Wilson helped launch the COVID-19 vaccination push in Jefferson County at the beginning of the year, and was a vocal supporter of the vaccine, which received as much scorn as it did fanfare. In fact, Rep. David Wheeler (R- Vestavia Hills) introduced a bill in the legislature this to strip Wilson of some of his emergency powers. Wilson has remained one of the people on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Marnix E. Heersink

The UAB School of Medicine has been an award-winning medical school and is world-renown for producing some of the world's finest physicians. This year, thanks to a $95 million donation to the school by Dr. Marnix E. Heersink, the UAB medical school was officially renamed the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.

Bobby Bowden

Legendary football coach and Birmingham native Bobby Bowden died Aug. 8 after a bout with pancreatic cancer. Bowden was 91 at the time of his death. Bowden played for and later coached football at Samford University, and Samford officially named its football field after Bowden during the Sept. 25 game against East Tennessee State.

Angela Roberts

Hoover resident Angela Roberts was reported missing July 10 after leaving a residence on Old Tyler Road in a rideshare vehicle. In October, skeletal remains found next to an empty Birmingham home were identified as Roberts. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office said the remains were discovered in an overgrown lot in the 300 block of 64th Street South. Roberts' cause of death has not been determined, but initial findings did not indicate foul play.

Jonathan Walden

After the Jan. 6 breach on the U.S. Capitol building, Birmingham resident Jonathan Walden, 46, was charged with conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, aiding and abetting and entering and remaining on restricted grounds. The FBI released a statement saying Walden aggressively berated and taunted law enforcement officers guarding the perimeter of the building after arriving at the Capitol. He was one of multiple Alabama residents charged in the incident.

Katie Britt

Business Council of Alabama president Katie Britt first made headlines this year when she resigned her position with the BBA in June. A week later, she again made the news when she announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate to replace Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), whose staff Britt led in Washington before taking her position with the BBA. Britt faces a crowded field that includes Trump-endorsed Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL). However, as of Dec. 1, Britt led all candidates in fundraising.