Photo courtesy of Celeste Bayles
Celeste Bayles
Ward 2’s Celeste Bayles announced she is running in this year’s election for City Council in Ward 2, Place 2.
Bayles, 38, is a Homewood native and is the director of client engagement for Employment Screening Services. This is her first run for municipal office.
Throughout her campaign, Bayles said she hopes to uphold the following tenants: transparency; diversity and inclusion; open communication; and creating a substantial legacy for future generations.
“One of the many reasons our school system is so extraordinary is our diversity,” Bayles said. “Kids from Homewood have so much more perspective on the world than our over-the-mountain counterparts. I will vote to keep Homewood diverse so that all of our children get the wonderful education they deserve.”
In a Facebook post, Bayles also said she hopes to help create a city manager position for the city.
“I will move to install a qualified candidate so we can streamline the way our small government runs,” she said in the post.
Bayles said although she is new to politics, she knows from experience the things people like and dislike in Homewood.
In addition to her professional experience managing a team in charge of more than $20 million of client accounts at ESS, she is also board member at Alabama Women in Business, a youth board member at Alabama Possible and a mentor at the Birmingham Business Alliance.
Bayles graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematical optimization with a minor in consumer science from the University of Alabama.
Visit her facebook page at facebook.com/celesteforthewest for more information. She is also on social media as @celesteforthewest on Instagram and @celesteyarbro on Twitter.
The election for Homewood mayor and City Council seats is Aug. 25. Qualifying ended July 21.