The Board of Directors at Central Alabama Water reconfirmed its leadership at their first meeting in July, re-electing Tommy Hudson as chairman and Phillip Wiedmeyer as vice-chairman for another one-year term.
Leadership continuity for a multi-county system
Central Alabama Water, the utility that succeeded the Birmingham Water Works Board, serves customers across Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount and Walker counties. The system operates four water treatment facilities and maintains a distribution network of more than 4,150 miles of water mains.
Along with Hudson and Wiedmeyer, the board selected Shan Paden as secretary and named CAW Chief Financial Officer Lester Smith treasurer, in accordance with the utility’s bylaws. Officers were chosen at the board’s first meeting in July; terms last one year and are renewable.
“I’m thankful my fellow board members re-elected me to lead our efforts,” Hudson said. “We’ve made a lot of progress over the past year, and I look forward to what we will accomplish in the future. I plan for us to continue focusing on what is best for our customers and following industry best practices to build a world-class water utility.”
“It has been an honor to serve our customers as vice-chairman and I’m glad to continue in this role,” Wiedmeyer said. “I appreciate my fellow board members placing their trust in me and will work closely with them, Chairman Hudson and our management and staff to continually improve our water system. I want our customers to know that their best interest will always be top of mind.”
What this means for residents
For customers across the five-county service area, the re-election signals continuity in governance as CAW proceeds with operations and any planned upgrades or maintenance. Board leadership plays a central role in setting utility priorities, approving budgets and guiding long-term infrastructure work, including treatment-plant operations and management of the extensive mains network.
- Scope: Serves Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount and Walker counties
- Facilities: Four water treatment plants in operation
- Infrastructure: More than 4,150 miles of water mains
The board’s officer elections follow the utility’s bylaws, which call for annual officer selection at the first July meeting. With the same leadership returning, the board emphasized its commitment to industry best practices and customer-focused decision-making as it moves forward.
| Officer | Position |
|---|---|
| Tommy Hudson | Chairman |
| Phillip Wiedmeyer | Vice-Chairman |
| Shan Paden | Secretary |
| Lester Smith | Treasurer |
As CAW continues to oversee distribution and treatment for a broad portion of central Alabama, board composition and decisions will remain of interest to residents and businesses that depend on reliable water service.
