3 Incumbents also take Oath of Office

Robert Parson Swearing in Was

Historical Event in Florissant

By Carol Arnett

Robert Parson, Jr. was sworn in to the city council at the council meeting Monday, making him the first African-American councilman in the city’s history. Parson defeated incumbent Mark Schmidt in the April election.

Parson has been a resident of Florissant since 1992. He is a graduate of St. Louis University Law School. He practices law out of his office in Clayton. He has served on the Florissant Environmental Quality Commission and has been chairman of the commission since 2014.

Parson served for seven years as a Navy Seabee in the Naval Reserves. He is a member of People United for Christ church in Jennings, where he is president of the Deacon Board and the financial chairman. He has been a youth soccer and softball coach at St. Rose Philippine Duchesne parish since 2008.

Parson’s wife of 19 years, Tanya, is a teacher at Commons Lane School and they have three children in Ferguson- Florissant District schools.

Florissant’s current population is estimated at 25% African-American. Parson is the first African-American to run for council office.

Schmidt spoke before Parsons was sworn in. He noted that the city is always experiencing change. He recalled that when he started, he had to submit a three-point paper memo to the city to get a question answered. He also said that the legislation he was most proud of was the Cross Keys redevelopment. “I’m not sure what that would be now if we didn’t do that,” he said.

After Schmidt left, Judge Dan Boyle swore in Parson and the other three councilmen elected. The other three, Timothy Jones, Jeff Caputa, and Gerard Henke, were all incumbents and only Caputa faced a write-in candidate.

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