| Jacques Maurice Roy | |
|---|---|
| 23rd Mayor of Alexandria, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, USA | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office December 4, 2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Edward Gordon "Ned" Randolph, Jr. (D) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 25, 1970 Alexandria, Louisiana |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Wendy Hendrix Roy (born February 26, 1972) |
| Children | son, daughter |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Signature | |
| Website | www.jacquesroyformayor.com |
Jacques Maurice Roy (born September 25, 1970) is the twenty-third mayor of Alexandria, the seat of Rapides Parish, in central Louisiana.
Roy, a Democrat, is the son of Christopher Roy, Sr., an ad hoc judge of the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal. He is the brother of Christopher Roy, Jr., a departing one-term member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
Roy graduated in 1988 from Holy Savior Menard Central High School, the Roman Catholic secondary institution in Alexandria. Prior to his having been elected mayor, Roy practiced law with his brother Chris, Jr., in Alexandria. His father, Chris Roy, Sr, is a prominent Alexandria attorney, affiliated with the firm of the legendary Camille Gravel. Roy attended Louisiana State University where he majored in Political Science and concentrated in American Government and Politics and Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge.
In 1995, Roy married the former Wendy Hendrix of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. They have a daughter and a son.
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Roy announced his candidacy for mayor during the first week of August 2006, the fifth of seven candidates to step forward. He campaigned on the issues of smart growth, government transparency, and inclusiveness.
On September 20, 2006, Roy finished in first place in the jungle primary, having received over 33 percent[1][2] of the vote. Delores Brewer, a Republican and chief of staff to outgoing Democratic Mayor Edward Gordon Randolph, Jr., finished in second place by a margin of only seventeen votes over Roy's fellow Democrat and Alexandria City Councilman-at-large, Roosevelt Johnson.[3]
Although both Roy and Brewer promised[4] to stay positive during the general election,[5] Brewer quickly went on the offensive. She launched two highly controversial television commercials, one of which was covered nationally.[6]
On November 7, 2006, Roy was elected by a landslide. He captured 76 percent of the vote. [7][8] In 2010, Roy easily won re-election in the primary, winning over 63% of the vote in a crowded field.
Jacques Roy is widely regarded as one of Louisiana’s most proactive and progressive elected officials. During his first term, Roy launched the S.P.A.R.C. (Special Planned Activity Redevelopment Corridors) Initiative, the largest redevelopment program in the city’s history. Economist Donovan Rypkema believes S.P.A.R.C. is the “right” kind of “stimulus project,” and renowned architect Frederic Schwartz considers S.P.A.R.C. to be “the most concise vision” for revitalization in the country. [9]
Mayor Joseph Riley of Charleston, South Carolina has also praised Roy’s vision and his leadership. “Show me a community with real inventive, aggressive, thoughtful, creative leadership (like Roy), and I will show you a community on the move,” said Riley to The Town Talk. [10]
Roy created Alexandria’s first-ever diversity program, Diversity in Action, [11] which he referenced in his first inaugural address. “Diversity works; inclusiveness makes money; community-based planning positively affects cities,” Roy said. [12] As a result of his initiative, Roy has significantly increased the number of small, emerging, minority, and/or women-owned businesses that work with the city of Alexandria. [13]
During his first term, Roy ordered a comprehensive audit of the Alexandria Police Department, which was conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. [14] Roy is an outspoken proponent of community policing and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) strategies. Gregory Saville, co-founder of the International CPTED Association, wrote in an article titled “Uptapping Kinetic Energy: Civic Potential Under the Surface,” “Then I met one of those rare leaders committed to making that kinetic energy work - re-elected Mayor Jaques Roy. He absolutely got what SafeGrowth can mean in his community. He is also just the quality of civic leader to muster the community energy to make it happen.” [15]
Roy has served in a range of leadership roles on behalf of the Louisiana Municipal Association, and he co-chaired Louisiana’s first-ever World Cultural Economic Forum, which was spearheaded by then Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu. Landrieu's sister, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, considers Roy to be one of the nation's leading advocates for smart growth. "He's been one of the most outstanding mayors in our whole state and actually our whole country on this issue," Landrieu said to KALB-TV. [16]
Kay Michiels- Chief Operating Officer
Lisa Harris- Chief of Policy and Planning
Bill Hess- Chief of Economic Development
Lamar White- Deputy Chief Operating Officer
Joseph Page- Deputy Chief of Policy and Planning/ Chief Diversity Officer
Charles Johnson- City Attorney
Kay Michiels- Director of Planning
Lisa Harris- Director of Community Services
Michael Marcotte- Director of Utilities
T.W. Thompson- Director of Public Works
Jannease Seastrunk- Director of Human Resources
Roger Tully- Chief of Police
Bernard Wesley- Fire Chief
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward Gordon "Ned" Randolph, Jr. (D) |
Mayor of Alexandria, Louisiana (Rapides Parish)
Jacques Roy (D) |
Succeeded by Incumbent |