Growing up as the sixth of nine children, Stephen L. Murphy learned firsthand the value of hard work, diversity and community service. His father, the late Billy A. Murphy, Sr., was a small business owner providing plumbing services to residents throughout the greater Birmingham community. Also, he was a firefighter with Birmingham Fire & Rescue at several stations for over 18 years, spending a good portion of his career at Station 26. Rosalyn D. Murphy, his mother, was a homemaker and spent much of her time teaching Stephen and his siblings how to advocate for and treat others.

At the beginning of his freshman year at P. D. Jackson-Olin High School, his father passed unexpectedly and it became time to apply the lessons learned throughout his childhood to ensure his survival. During high school, Stephen and his family experienced homelessness; however, he fought through intense adversity to complete high school. He decided to pursue Social Work due to a strong desire to directly impact people in the world around him; he obtained a Bachelors of Science in Social Work from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama. He is the first of his siblings to obtain collegiate degrees; also, he is licensed to practice social work independently in Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland.

He has worked tirelessly providing service to others through his work in child welfare, mental health/chemical dependency, corrections, HIV/AIDS, Veteran Affairs, medical social work, risk management and regulatory compliance. He also has worked with a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring Birmingham’s students graduate from high school as college, career, and life ready young adults. Stephen’s entire career has been devoted to ensuring resources and person-centered solutions to children, adolescents, and adults. He has volunteered with several organizations that impact residents throughout the City of Birmingham, Cities of Petersburg and Richmond, VA, and Atlanta, GA. He is currently employed for a county Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation as the Division Chief of Medical & Behavioral Health Services where he is responsible for the provision of medical and behavioral health services that includes oversight, budget management, program development, service delivery, and ensuring justice-involved individuals are receiving quality care in a correctional setting.