Alvin
Woodlief, Jr., was elected Mayor in December 2001 after serving
the City of Oxford as a Commissioner for 14 years, during eight
of which he functioned as Mayor Pro Tem.
Woodlief
is an Oxford native. He and his wife, the former Anita Currin
(also a native of Oxford) retired from broadcasting after 30
years of operating radio stations in Oxford and Henderson. They
have two married sons, Adam and Aaron, and two granddaughters.
Al and Anita have been married for 39 years and have called
Oxford home their entire lives with the exception of college
years.
Woodlief
has been in public service since 1972. His involvement with
broadcasting brought him out into the community to help the
people and businesses of Oxford. For many years he served as
Chairman of the Merchants Committee, which organized downtown
business promotions. He was a volunteer fireman, retiring as
Captain after 25 years with the Oxford Fire Department, and
still serves as an honorary member. He also coached City of
Oxford sports teams and takes a special interest in providing
recreational opportunities for youth, as evidenced by his
support for the new Oxford Park Athletic Complex.
As Mayor,
he has an open-door policy with the public and encourages
citizens to contact him with their concerns by either calling or
visiting City Hall. And he communicates with the public on a
regular basis with his Mayor’s Report in the media. His
involvement in the community is evident by his attendance at all
kinds of community events and his willingness to attend special
occasions at area schools, nursing homes, civic clubs,
businesses, industries and family events.
He has
been a key player in securing funding from a variety of sources
to support City departments, and he has been a major factor in
the recruitment of many of Oxford’s new businesses. He had a
leadership role in Oxford doubling its water and sewer capacity
and in providing water to the northern Granville town of
Stovall. During times of natural disaster, he makes sure that
the lines of communication are open among the City Manager,
Board of Commissioners and the public so that recovery from such
events of safe and rapid.
He wants
all Oxford citizens to enjoy a good quality of life and has led
the effort to promote a neat, clean appearance in all Oxford
neighborhoods. As a result, Oxford’s streets and neighborhoods
are a source of great pride for all citizens. The Welcome to
Oxford signs, American flags for the downtown, downtown banners,
historic photographs in City Hall are all evidence of his
interest in the beauty and heritage of the City.
Mayor
Woodlief loves Oxford, and he wants what is best for all its
citizens. This is the driving force behind all his intentions,
projects and plans. He gets results because he is committed to
his community. And don’t be surprised during pleasant weather
if you see “Mayor Al” riding around Oxford’s neighborhoods in
his red golf cart.
