Ashby Pate Reappointed to Birmingham Airport Authority Board of Directors

August 13, 2026

Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC partner R. Ashby Pate has been reappointed to a second six-year term on the Birmingham Airport Authority board of directors, from August 11, 2026 through July 29, 2032.

Pate was first appointed to the board in 2020, served as secretary for two years and was elected chair in 2024. He was re-elected chair for the 2025-26 term and has helped guide major initiatives at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, including the Parking Modernization Plan to increase capacity and improve the customer experience. He has also supported community projects at the airport, including a mural tribute to Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth in Concourse B.

"It's a privilege to keep serving Birmingham in this role," said Pate. "We have real momentum at the airport right now, and I'm glad to be part of continuing that work."

Pate’s practice centers on complex government investigations, class actions, international disputes, appellate work and corporate plaintiffs' litigation. Earlier in his career, he served as an associate justice on the Supreme Court of Palau, where he helped design the island nation's first-ever jury trial system.