One year ago, I took the oath of office as Mayor of Covington, the largest city in Northern Kentucky and the fifth-largest in the Commonwealth. I did so with humility, fully aware of the history of this city and the responsibility that comes with leading it. I am honored to be the first African American mayor of Covington, and of any of Kentucky’s five largest cities, but more importantly, I am honored to serve the city that raised me.
Covington has been my home since the very beginning. I came here as a newborn to live with my foster mother, Anna Washington, who later adopted me and raised me in our family’s Italianate home on West Sixth Street in Old Town Mutter Gottes. Those blocks, neighbors, stoops, and sidewalks taught me what community really means. I attended Covington Independent Public Schools and graduated from Holmes High School. This city shaped my values, gave me opportunity, and showed me the importance of looking out for one another.
After high school, I built my life here. I served as a Northern Kentucky law enforcement officer and later helped build and operate a business that employed 25 to 30 people, learning firsthand what it means to manage responsibility, create jobs, and take calculated risks. Long before I ever ran for office, Covington had already invested in me.
Returning to public service first as a city commissioner and now as mayor is my way of giving back. That personal connection drives my priorities and shapes the question I ask myself every day: how do we build a city where people want to live, work, and raise a family?…