A historical moment unfolded Monday at the Cullman City Council meeting when Jenny Folsom became the first woman selected to serve as president of the governing body.

Garlan Gudger, president of the City Council for 10 of his 14 years of service, recommended council president pro-tem Folsom for the important post as he prepares to join the Alabama Senate.

The move was an excellent and unanimous choice by the City Council.

Through her many years of service, Folsom has been an unwavering and informed council member. She has shown a deep understanding of not only how government works at the municipal level, but also of the needs of the city’s residents.

Under this team of council members, Cullman has moved forward with tremendous growth, improvement of facilities and services and the expansion of quality of life for residents. Folsom has been a leader in making sure that the forward-moving trend has been carried out with integrity.

Johnny Cook also received the unanimous approval to become the new president pro-tem. Like Folsom and Gudger, Cook has taken the time to embrace the importance of leadership at the council level and has served the community well.

Gudger will remain on the council until the November general election concludes. He will continue to be involved in the affairs of governing the city, but stepping away from the president’s seat provides more time to prepare for his future work in Montgomery.

During his tenure on the council, Gudger developed a solid reputation for being a reliable and progressive leader, working well with mayors and council members and gaining tremendous respect from voters.

We offer our congratulations to Folsom, Gudger and Cook as they move into new leadership roles. We are confident that the cooperative and effective work they have shown in the past will continue in the years ahead.