Mobile County Commissioner receives national award for county arts leadership

MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. ( WKRG ) — Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood received the 2024 Public Leadership in the Arts Award at the National Association of Counties annual meeting.

The organizations, Americans for the Arts and the National Association of Counties, awarded Ludgood for her county arts leadership on Monday, July 15, as part of the National Association of Counties annual meeting in Hillsborough County, Florida.

Since 1997, the award has been granted to officials whose leadership has advanced and emphasized the value of the arts within their community.

“Americans for the Arts is pleased to honor Commissioner Merceria Ludgood for her extraordinary work in revitalizing Africatown and understanding the important role that arts and culture play throughout Mobile County and across Alabama in enlivening communities,” Americans for the Arts Interim Co-CEOs Jamie Bennett and Suzy Delvalle said.

Ludgood has served the residents of District 1 with an emphasis on sharing Mobile County’s history and art since taking her position in 2007. This includes her work in Africatown, building the Africatown Heritage Houses and the Africatown Hall and Food Bank, which opened last month .

This is not the first award the commissioner has received. Ludgood has been awarded by many organizations including the Kellogg National Leadership Fellowship.

“Commissioner Ludgood has worked tirelessly for many years to support our four museum sites – History Museum of Mobile, Colonial Fort Condé, Phoenix Fire Museum, and Clotilda: The Exhibition at Africatown Heritage House – helping to bring Mobile’s past to life for tens of thousands of visitors each year,” History Museum of Mobile Director Jon Sexton said. “Her significant financial support and leadership have been instrumental in creating opportunities for members of our community to engage meaningfully with Mobile’s proud history.”

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