Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker -- who led Houston for 6 years and gained a national reputation in the process -- spoke with the Urban Edge for its latest podcast.
As mayor, Parker led bike and pedestrians improvements and oversaw the city's work expanding its green spaces. Both efforts boosted Houston's reputation on the national stage and helped bring attention to Parker in the process.
But she also faced stumbling blocks. Parker failed to enact major overhauls of the city's pension systems, despite her best efforts, so they remain a critical issue facing her successor, Mayor Sylvester Turner. The equal rights ordinance she championed was defeated by voters at the end of her term, marring what might have otherwise been a victory lap for the longtime public servant.
In an interview conducted at her Montrose home, Parker discussed the role of the mayor, the work facing her successor, and her plans for the next phase of her career.
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