Francis G. Slay was sworn in as the 45
th
Mayor of the City of St. Louis on April 17, 2001. He was re-elected by wide margins in April 2005, April 2009, and April 2013.
The Slay Administration and its public and private partners have received national and international recognition for St. Louis’ renaissance. Key initiatives have focused on improving the quality of life in neighborhoods, the revitalization of north St. Louis, better public education, and the efficient and equitable delivery of city services. In May 2007, Downtown St. Louis’ revitalization was the subject of a Preserve America Presidential Award, the nation’s highest award for historic preservation. In 2011, Citygarden won the Urban Land Institute’s prestigious Amanda Burden Urban Open Space award.
Prior to being elected mayor, Slay served as a St. Louis Alderman for 10 years, then as President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen from 1995-2001. An attorney by trade, Slay joined the firm Guilfoil, Petzall and Shoemake in 1981, where he practiced for 20 years and became a partner specializing in corporate law and commercial litigation.
Mayor Slay earned his law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law. He holds a degree in political science from Quincy College. He and his wife Kim have two grown children.