Ed Fields

I believe real leadership starts when you are comfortable in your own skin—and committed to creating the conditions where others can step fully into their purpose.

I work at the intersection of civic innovation, communication strategy, operational excellence, and institutional governance.

Over the past twenty-five years, my career has been dedicated to a single objective: building the tables, systems, and narratives that turn bold visions into institutional muscle.

Raised in the Midwest, I chose Birmingham more than two decades ago and made this city my life’s work. For nearly a decade, I served as Senior Advisor and Chief Strategist for the City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office. In that role, I helped guide the operational strategy, public-private architecture, and messaging behind one of the American South’s most watched municipal transformations—working daily to bridge City Hall, corporate leadership, national philanthropy, and the grassroots energy of our 99 neighborhoods.

My approach is rooted in an entrepreneurial belief that ideas are fragile without the right operational leadership. I co-founded Relax, It’s Handled, a professional services firm that delivered instant infrastructure for non-profit boards and high-stakes campaigns. After eight years executing dozens of successful campaigns for our clients, we earned national Blue Ribbon recognition from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce before a successful sale of our firm. 

I have led teams to produce nearly 200 convenings, campaigns and events that delivered millions in direct fundraising impact and tens of thousands of volunteer hours to communities across the southeastern United States. Often, I served as the founding organizer and principal architect of inaugural campaigns and events that served those organizations long after my involvement.

Beyond balance sheets and governance, I believe deeply in storytelling. As co-executive producer of the documentary film As Goes The South and through my publication Honestly Ed, I produce work that honors community truth and examines the complexities of modern civic life.

An alum of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and Harvard’s Young American Leadership Program, I hold an MBA from the University of Alabama and a B.S. from Alabama State University. I received my IOM (Institute of Management) certification in nonprofit management from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Whether advising metropolitan leaders, consulting for mission-driven enterprises, or pressure-testing a visionary napkin-stage idea, I focus on the mechanics that make progress real, lasting, and accountable to the people it serves.

I reside in Birmingham, Alabama with my loving wife, Shyla, and our sons, August and Xander. 

Subscribe to my Substack newsletter here.

Read my blog, Honestly Ed, here.