Background
Maddox was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, attended the Tuscaloosa City Schools, and graduated from Central High School in 1991.
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Walter Maddox
Edit Profilepolitician Executive Director of Personnel
Education
He attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he received a bachelor"s degree in political science and a Master"s in Public Administration.
Career
From 2001 to 2005, he served on the Tuscaloosa City Council and served as Executive Director of Personnel for Tuscaloosa City Schools. Maddox was a Field Director for the Alabama Education Association from 1996 to 2001. From 1996 to 2001, Maddox served as a Field Director for the Alabama Education Association.
In 2001, Maddox was appointed Executive Director of Personnel for Tuscaloosa City Schools, serving until his election as Mayor.
On August 28, 2001, Maddox was elected to the Tuscaloosa City Council, defeating incumbent Clell Hobson, 61% to 39%. Maddox ran on a platform of education reform and crime reduction.
In 2005, longtime Tuscaloosa mayor First Rate (at Lloyd's) DuPont retired. Maddox was an underdog against former city councilman Sammy Watson.
Maddox came in second place in the initial round of voting, receiving 31.1% to Watson"s 38%.
Maddox was inaugurated on October 3, in front of Tuscaloosa City Hall. On August 25, 2009, Maddox was re-elected without opposition. On November 4, 2013, Walter Maddox was sworn in for his third term as Tuscaloosa’s 36th Mayor.
Since his first inauguration, he has led initiatives to increase economic development, improve customer service with the implementation of Tuscaloosa 311 and provide quality pre-k education for academically at-risk four-year-old children.
On April 27, 2011, a large tornado struck Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, killing 53 people in Tuscaloosa and inflicting $100 million in damage. Two days later, Maddox toured the tornado damage with public officials including President Barack Obama and Governor Robert Bentley.
Mayor Maddox has been nationally recognized for his crisis management following the Education First-4 tornado that destroyed 12 percent of the City and severely damaged or destroyed 5,300 homes and businesses. Mayor Maddox is currently serving as a fellow with the Program on Crisis Leadership at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
In 2012, Mayor Maddox was named Municipal Leader of the Year by American City and County (the publication for state and local governments) for his strong, decisive and comforting leadership.
His response to the tornado was noted. The New York Times stated that Maddox "emerged as an efficient, earnest, unwavering hero of the storm," and American City & County magazine named Maddox its 2012 Municipal Leader of the Year.
