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    The Mayor's Inauguration

    Turner inauguration highlights: Pothole promise, big dreams, soaring voices and sartorial splendor

    Clifford Pugh
    Jan 4, 2016 | 3:38 pm
    Sylvester Turner inauguration with daughter Ashley
    Mayor Sylvester Turner, with daughter Ashley, acknowledges the crowd after being publicly sworn in during a ceremony at Jones Hall.
    Photo by Richard Carson

    Inauguration day is often the high point of a politician's life. It's full of lots of goodwill, big smiles and boundless optimism before the hard work of day-to-day governing begins.

    That was certainly the case for Mayor Sylvester Turner, who has coveted Houston's highest job for more than 25 years. The public swearing-in of Turner, City Controller Chris Brown and the 16-member Houston City Council at Jones Hall Monday morning was, indeed, a festive occasion with lofty rhetoric, soaring voices and one big promise from the mayor.

    "Two weeks from today, potholes that are properly reported to the city's 311 help and information line will be assessed and addressed by the next business day," Turner said to loud applause, adding such potholes will be fixed within 24 hours of being reported.

    For those potholes that are so bad they require additional time to repair, Turner said he will request a priority report from the public works director, personally monitor it and share with city council.

    There weren't a lot of other specifics in Turner's 19-minute speech as he promised to attack the city's fiscal problems, create more affordable housing, make the issue of flooding a high priority and work with the county government on a host of issues, including street repair.

    He called for "shared sacrifice" to address the city's fiscal challenges. "I am not asking any one group to balance the city's budget or curb the city's spiraling costs. But I am asking all of us who love this city and have benefited from its past to sacrifice now for the city's future," he said.

    The most poignant moments of the mayor's speech came when he recounted the sacrifices his mother, who is now deceased, made for him and his siblings. His father died when he was 13 and his mother became the "CEO of the Turner house," he recounted.

    "With no high school education, working as a maid at the Rice Hotel, never learning how to drive, she raised nine sons and daughters. When times were rough, she reminded us that tomorrow will be better than today. Today is evident that what my mom said was true," Turners said, his voice cracking with emotion.

    Some other highlights from the ceremony that caught our attention:

    Biggest applause lines

    Of course, the pothole line got big applause, as did Turner's vow to make housing more affordable to attract young people who are priced out and thus leaving the city "because I want them living in Houston." He also received a standing ovation when he declared, "I am committed to make sure that we do not have two cities, one of the haves and the have-nots. We are all Houstonians."

    "I am committed to leading the way to show the world that in Houston law enforcement and community can work hand in hand together. We are not enemies of one another. We are on the same page," he added.

    He also got big applause lines for highlighting more economic opportunities, including those provided by the international terminal at Hobby Airport, and saluted the University of Houston's Peach Bowl win, receiving the Cougar hand salute from many in the crowd.

    High vocal moment

    Grammy-award winner Yolanda Adams brought down the house with her rendition of the hit gospel song, "Never Give Up," as the Houston Symphony accompanied her. Before she began, she told the mayor that she had changed some of the lyrics from "girl" to "boy" for him, quickly adding, "No judgment." And when she launched into the song, she sang new lyrics about a "young boy from Acres Homes," the part of Houston where Turner grew up and continues to live.

    Republicans in the House

    Even though being mayor is officially a non-partisan position, Turner is a Democrat and most of the well-wishers in the audience were of the same political persuasion. But Turner has shown a propensity for working well with the heavily Republican legislature in Austin, and as a measure of their respect and affection for him, ultra-conservative Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and dozens of Turner's former colleagues in the Texas House of Representatives attended the celebration.

    Where are the women?

    Other than spouses and program participants, there were precious few women elected leaders on stage. Only four members of the 16-member Houston City Council are women, which was particularly noticeable when the council stood in a long row to be sworn in.

    Of course, the last six years the city's top official was Mayor Annise Parker, who with former first lady Kathy Hubbard, received warm applause from the audience, along with former Mayor Lee Brown and wife, Frances, and Elyse Lanier, the widow of former Houston Mayor Bob Lanier.

    Fashion standouts

    City Hall is not a fashion show, but a few notables were sartorial standouts on stage. Turner looked dapper in a blue suit and tie while Dean Davis, the young son of District B Council member Jerry Davis, epitomized cool in red slacks and a slick haircut that's high on top and short on the side. (Each council member, as well as the mayor and city controller, were ushered on stage by a family member and Davis strolled out with his dad.)

    Divya Brown, the wife of controller Brown, was chic in a long-sleeve high-neck blue dress and earned a lot of approval in social media chatter. And even though it was 9:30 in the morning, Ashley Turner, the daughter of Mayor Turner, and Jacqueline Le, the wife of District F council member Steve Le, sparkled in colorful evening gowns. Turner wore a bright red poppy print gown and with a magenta jacket while Le appeared onstage a flowing, bejeweled purple and white gown.

    politics
    news/city-life

    the search is on

    Game-changing leader of Houston Parks Board to retire after 10 years

    Jef Rouner
    May 21, 2025 | 10:00 am
    Houston Parks Board CEO Beth White stands at a podium at the Captain Herod Memorial, Houston Mayor John Whitmire is seated nearby.
    Photo by Melissa Taylor
    Beth White speaking at the Captain Herod Memorial on January 28,2025

    It's the end of an era at the Houston Parks Board (HPB). CEO Beth White announced Wednesday, May 21 that she will be retiring on January 1, 2026.

    "As I reflect on my career, one of the most rewarding decisions I have made was coming to Houston," White said in a statement. "The entrepreneurial drive in this city is very powerful, our public-private partnership model is second to none, and the creativity at play is a model for the nation."

    White began her stewardship of the HPB in 2016. Before coming to Houston, she oversaw Chicago's Trust for Public Land, guiding the development of the city's famous elevated trailway, the 606. Her experience made her perfect to lead the HPB as Houston dedicated itself to a radical improvement of its park spaces. With HPB responsible for 3,300 acres across 250 parks, as well as coordinating access to another 14,000 acres, it was an executive position for an area physically larger than many cities.

    White proved herself a competent and visionary general of Houston's greenspaces. During her time, she led the revitalization of 30 Houston parks, mostly in marginalized and underserved communities. Her work netted her an appointment to the chair of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2021, where she helped federal agencies make long-term plans about public space usage.

    Perhaps her greatest accomplishment as CEO of HPB is the Bayou Greenway project, a bold re-imagining of Houston's waterways. The project has built 150 miles worth of trails that hug the various bayous and creeks meandering through Houston, turning what were often foot traffic barriers into an artery system of green trails connecting various park spaces across the city. Isolated pockets of community space are now linked through easy to use trail systems, making foot traffic across Houston simpler and more beautiful to experience.

    “It is very gratifying to see that Houstonians are embracing parks and greenspace as an essential part of the region’s infrastructure. I am proud to have played a part in Houston’s green renaissance and look forward to continued progress thanks to the talented and dedicated staff and board at Houston Parks Board,” said White.

    Cory King, president and CEO, and Ben Feit, principal, at Kittleman and Associates, are leading the search for suitable candidates to fill White's very big shoes. In the meantime, White will continue to lead the organization for the rest of the year.

    "Houston Parks Board would not be in the position it is today without the guidance and leadership of Beth White. As we commemorate her throughout this year, we are grateful that Beth’s vision has helped transform our organization into a regional and national leader for parks and greenspace,” said Houston Parks Board chair Cullen Geiselman Muse. “We are also excited to begin the search for her successor. Houston is a unique region that offers different opportunities to maximize available space and create multi-purpose greenspaces that make real, lasting impacts on our communities. We look forward to sharing more information as the search progresses."

    parkshouston parks boardbeth white
    news/city-life
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