Political party Democratic Profession Attorney Name Jacques Roy Spouse Wendy Hendrix (m. 1995) | Children Son, daughter Religion Roman Catholic Role Attorney Party Democratic Party | |
Preceded by Edward Gordon "Ned" Randolph, Jr. (D) Born September 25, 1970 (age 53)
Alexandria, Louisiana, USA ( 1970-09-25 ) Relations Christopher Roy, Jr. (brother) Education Holy Savior Menard Central High School, Louisiana State University, Southern University Law Center | ||
Jacques Maurice Roy (born September 25, 1970) is the twenty-third mayor of Alexandria, the parish seat of Rapides Parish in Central Louisiana.
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A Democrat, Roy 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 former one-term member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and a 2014 candidate for district attorney of the 9th Judicial District Court, based in Alexandria.
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., was formerly affiliated with the firm of the legendary Alexandria lawyer Camille Gravel. Roy attended Louisiana State University, at which he majored in Political Science, with concentration in American government and politics, and Southern University Law Center, both in Baton Rouge.
In 1995, Roy married the former Wendy Hendrix (born February 26, 1972), formerly of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. They have a daughter and a son.
Election history
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 that year, Roy finished in first place in the nonpartisan blanket primary, having received over 33 percent[1][2] of the vote. Delores Brewer, a Republican and chief of staff to outgoing Democratic Mayor Ned Randolph, finished in second place by a margin of only seventeen votes over Roy's fellow Democrat and Alexandria City Councilman-at-large, Roosevelt Johnson, an African American.[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 more thean 63 percent of the vote in a crowded field.
In his bid for a third term as mayor in the primary election on November 4, 2014, Roy faces Jamar Gailes, Jeff Hall, Mitzi "Gibson" LaSalle, and Nicholas R. P. Wright.
Accomplishments
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]
Veteran 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," Riley told Alexandria 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 a 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": "... 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]
On July 15, 2013, Roy was among nine mayors who established Social Media Giving Day to encourage citizens to support charities via social media.
Roy is involved with the Louisiana Municipal Association. He co-chaired Louisiana’s first-ever World Cultural Economic Forum, which was spearheaded by then Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, the mayor of New Orleans. Landrieu's sister, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, considers Roy among 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," she told KALB-TV in Alexandria. [16]
Executive staff
T. W. Thompson- Chief Operating Officer
Joseph Page- Chief of Policy and Planning/Chief Diversity Officer
Bill Hess- Chief of Economic Development
Vacant- Deputy Chief Operating Officer/Police Commissioner/Director of Public Works
Division leadership staff
Charles Johnson- City Attorney
Vacant- Director of Planning
Vacant- Director of Community Services
Michael Marcotte- Director of Utilities
Vacant- Director of Public Works
Allana Mire- Acting Director of Human Resources
Loren Lampert- Chief of Police
Bernard Wesley- Fire Chief