Meet Mattie Parker. How family, Texas politics and a tiny town shaped Fort Worth's mayor

Jun. 18—A debate on whether Mattie Parker's 5-year-old son would don appropriate clothes in time for her swearing in ceremony was answered when he swiftly appeared in the foyer fully dressed, but definitely shy.

The brown boots on his feet weren't to his liking though, so he kicked them off in favor of some Nikes, and commenced climbing a large decorative rock. It seemed an appropriate middle ground had been found in this brief impasse.

This is not an uncommon scene at Parker's home, which she described in a text as "maybe mass chaos!" As Fort Worth's next mayor Parker, 37, must lead a city of more than 900,000 that, like her son Laney, doesn't always know which direction it wants to go.

The chaos of family life will be an asset to Fort Worth, Parker said in an interview recently, noting that her new council colleagues represent more than 20 children between their families and extended families. This is a time when the city can improve the quality of life for families in every neighborhood, she said.

"We'll be faced every night with 'Am I doing the right job for those kids, for my children?' " Parker said. "There's a new younger generation taking the torch and willing to lead. It's an exciting time for Fort Worth."

Parker supporters have a lot of confidence she's the right person for the job. They see a smart woman who represents the kind of young professionals Fort Worth needs to attract as well as a fair arbiter capable of getting diverging parties to agree. She'll face tough challenges with a city that has grown by 25% in the past decade, several new council colleagues with limited government experience and the looming need to reconcile wide differences in the diverse city.

"She's going to have to be very innovative in a time when the city is growing so fast," Betsy Price, the city's mayor for a decade, said after Parker won the June runoff. "She's going to lead us through those times."

Parker the negotiator

Jay McCall, program manager for the Rainwater Foundation, recalled Parker being instrumental in helping the foundation navigate the city as it worked to establish what would become the Tarrant To and Through Partnership. The nonprofit hopes to improve student outcomes in job placement by connecting low income Fort Worth school district students to scholarships and help them navigate higher education.

At the time Parker was chief of staff for the mayor and City Council. McCall had met Parker around 2012 when he worked at Miles Foundation, and said the advisory council establishing T3 slowly began to float the idea of bringing her onboard as the founding CEO. Parker had demonstrated an ability to understand both what the younger workforce wants and how to recruit talented people to projects, he said.

The role involved getting a lot of often competing institutions to agree, McCall said. The partnership includes TCU, UT Arlington, Tarleton State, Texas Wesleyan, Tarrant County College and UNT Dallas. To make the partnership work, institutions needed to agree not only to take students receiving financial support from T3, but also provide services to the students to ensure they succeeded, he said.

Parker helped broker those relationships.

"She truly listens to people and keeps an open mind," McCall said. "I think she's very fair."

Parker likely honed those skills in Austin.

Waiting tables at a Texas Land and Cattle in 2005 she made a connection that landed her a job her junior year at the University of Texas as a press assistant in Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick's office. A woman from Craddick's office happened to sit in Parker's section at the restaurant one evening, Parker said. They struck up a conversation about Parker's interest in politics and desire to intern at the statehouse. Parker later moved up to deputy press secretary and then executive assistant for Craddick.

It was a tumultuous time for Craddick. The first Republican speaker since Reconstruction had become unpopular not only with Democrats but some Republicans too. A faction attempted to oust Craddick as speaker.

Parker recalled frequently being in the room with Craddick, then Gov. Rick Perry and then Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst as the trio hashed out disagreements.

"That's where I really got to understand media and the press and the value of communicating and transparency, how you really get your message across and being accessible," Parker said. "I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly when people don't do it right, you know."

Parker learned how to pull people together in Austin, said Phil King, a Republican state representative from Weatherford.

She worked as King's legislative director and chief of staff from 2007 to 2010, often helping shepherd bills through the Legislature. King described her as "37 going on 65 with the experience and wisdom she has."

He recalled Parker doing more than just helping out in Austin. She worked closely with constituents on several district issues, but also on more personal matters. Whether it was someone looking for help to find a nursing home or resources for a child, Parker would help connect them, King said.

King, who worked for Bob Bolen when he was mayor of Fort Worth, said the most difficult job in local politics is getting clashing groups to sit down at a table for a fair conversation.

"That's a real talent that not very many people have, and I think Mattie will be really good at it," King said.

Parker would later work for U.S. Rep. Kay Granger while attending law school at Texas Wesleyan in the last class before Texas A&M took over the school.

Describing herself as "a little naive," Parker said she and her husband, David, decided to have a baby during her second year of law school. Greyson, now 10, was born just before finals, she said. Shortly after that, the couple adopted Shainey, now 19.

"No one does anything alone," Parker said of the experience, adding that she leaned on her mother, husband and fellow classmates for support. "I've joked on the campaign trail that running for mayor and being a mother is hard, but it's nothing compared to that experience."

Fort Worth's biggest challenge

Just after Price announced she wouldn't seek reelection, she told the Star-Telegram she thought the biggest challenge for the next mayor would be building greater equity and inclusion.

Fort Worth has struggled with race relations and a growing divide between the city's older establishment and younger, more progressive voices.

The city created a Race and Culture Task Force to guide it to better equity following the viral arrest of Jacqueline Craig in 2016. In 2018 the task force issued a report with a series of recommendations to improve economic development, access to health care and other issues in minority neighborhoods, along with suggestions for changes to policing. Then in October 2018, a Fort Worth police officer killed Atatiana Jefferson in her home while responding to a non-emergency call.

"I think the key is you've got to be open and honest about it," Price said in January, referring to inequality and racism.

Many in the city wanted someone else to lead Fort Worth. In the May general election Parker came in second to Deborah Peoples, a former AT&T executive with progressive backers, by about 3 percentage points.

Before Parker gave her first speech as mayor during Tuesday's ceremonial swearing in at the Fort Worth Convention Center, a crowd from United Fort Worth — wearing shirts that read "let's elect a brand new city council for us" — began to chant: "What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!" along with "Say her name! Atatiana Jefferson."

The group has its roots in pushing City Hall and Tarrant County on immigration reform. United Fort Worth has since grown, advocating for equity issues, policy reform and often appearing at council meetings. This election cycle the group campaigned for Peoples and helped elect Jared Williams to District 6 and Chris Nettles to District 8.

The group also backed Jen Sarduy, who ran unsuccessfully against Carlos Flores for District 2. Sarduy said she was excited to see how Parker would handle issues.

During the campaign Parker, who was heavily supported by the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, said she wanted to move away from "dog whistle" politics and partisanship. Sarduy said it's time to stick to campaign promises.

"Mattie still has that room to carve out her own path and not be exactly like Betsy Price," Sarduy said. "I think she's been really clear about knowing that."

Hico, Texas

The roughly three blocks that make up downtown Hico are quintessential Texas.

Turn of the century buildings with fading painted advertisements line the boulevard on Pecan Street. There's a boutique hotel, a Billy the Kid Museum and a gun shop.

If Parker cut her political teeth in Austin, Hico, population 1,500, framed her world view.

At the high school, built after Parker graduated in 2002, two former teachers said they weren't surprised Parker, who described herself frequently as "a small town girl from Hico" is now mayor of a city more than 600 times the size of her hometown.

Gary Brister, who coached Parker at Academic UIL with the philosophy that 70% of winning in prose interpretation came down to "poise and confidence," said Parker had charisma that signaled she'd succeed. Parker, then Pearcy so her nickname was still "Mattie P," had a motherly attitude, he said, and she often took on "adult responsibilities."

Even with the kind attitude, Parker was competitive and worked hard to be among the top achievers in her class, said Keith Elrod, the district's business manager who taught Parker math for several years.

More than 50% of the students are on free or reduced lunches, Elrod said, a statistic that likely hasn't changed much since Parker was in school. Both men said it is impossible to not know everyone in Hico, making social and economic lines blurred.

"I think that being in a small town where you have to do that — you're not able to just stick with this clique or that clique — you have to get along with everybody is probably what shaped her," Brister said. "She'll be able to do that on a much larger scale in Fort Worth."

A welcome sign in downtown declares Hico is "where everybody is somebody." Parker, without referencing the slogan, said she wanted the same for Fort Worth — a blend of small town charm through robust neighborhoods in a world class city.

"The visual for me is like one foot in the past, one foot in the present," Parker said of Fort Worth. "We want to hold on to that small town feel, but at the same time, I know we've grown into a big city."

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