Biography of Shreveport Mayor
Cedric B. Glover
The youngest
son of Elizabeth Bradford Glover and the late Clarence Ernest Glover Sr.,
Cedric Bradford Glover, is a lifelong resident of Shreveport, LA, and
was educated in the public and private schools of Caddo Parish. Early on,
Cedric's parents instilled in him and his siblings a sense of community and
civic commitment.
These traits
manifested themselves early in Cedric's life. He started, what, at that time was
the only black Boy Scout Troop in the entire NORWELA Council area. He later
served with the Volunteers of America Lighthouse program as a Program
Coordinator. During this time, he was elected Treasurer of the Shreveport
Chapter of the NAACP, and President of the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic
Club.
As President
of the MLK Civic Club, Cedric had an opportunity to lead and advance an
entire neighborhood. At that time, the MLK area was beset by the twin scourges
of crack cocaine and gang violence and void of any constructive activities for
the community's young people. Cedric was active in efforts that culminated with
the deployment of Operation THOR in the MLK area. Operation THOR,
an acronym for Take, Hold, Organize, and Return, represents the
largest mobilization of law enforcement in Northwest Louisiana
history.
Prompted by
the urging of many, Cedric offered himself as a candidate for the Shreveport
City Council District A seat. In of November 1990, Cedric became the youngest
individual ever elected to the Shreveport City Council. While on the City
Council, he served terms as Council Chairman, Chairman of the Public Safety
Committee, and was selected as Public Official of the Year by
the Shreveport Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. He also
received the Louisiana Municipal Association's Community Achievement Award three
times, as well as the Shreveport Negro Chamber of Commerce Political Achievement
Award.
As
Councilman, Cedric also secured more than thirty
million dollars in capital construction dollars for his district, and increased
the Parks and Recreation budget by 30 percent and declared war on liquor stores
selling to minors, resulting in the first liquor license revocations in the
City's history. He also championed and advanced the concept of Community
Oriented Policing, at a time when most in law enforcement saw little
value in it. During his tenure on the Council, he was a board member of
the Greater Shreveport Economic Development Committee, Goodwill
Industries, the Metropolitan YMCA, and became the youngest graduate of the
Leadership Louisiana Program.
In October
of 1995, Cedric was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives.
During that time, as a member of the House, he was elected to the Executive
Committee of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus. He was also selected as
Legislator of the Year by the Rural Caucus, and selected as Legislator
of the Month by the Louisiana Municipal Association, Citizens Against Crime
Inc. for instituting the first computer automated crime victim notification
system in the entire state of Louisiana.
On
November 7, 2006, Cedric B. Glover, made history as
the first African American Mayor of his hometown, Shreveport, LA.
He considers it an honor to serve as Mayor and strives daily to make Shreveport,
‘the next great city of the South’!'
Find Out More About the City of Shreveport at:
www.shreveportla.gov
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