Candidate: Ken Thomas Jr.

My roots to Parker run deep.  I am a Panama City native and a Parker family descendant and I spent a large part of my youth in and around the Parker community. My great uncle, Earl Gilbert, was Parker’s first mayor and my father lives in the house my great-grandfather Charles Parker built in 1921, and my mother lives on Donalson Point. This has been, and always will be my home.

What I bring to serve the citizens of Parker:

• 10 years leadership experience with Florida state, county & local governments
• 40 years of business experience, 30 years of management experience
• 6 generations of participation and service to the Parker community 

In 2015 I came home after 8 years overseas to serve my state. I'm retiring a year early to serve my community. My only interest is the betterment of Parker:

Better housing – refresh, expand and upgrade housing options and availability

Better infrastructure – improve and expand physical & virtual citizen support/facilities/programs

Better facilities – upgrade city buildings, parks and other community spaces

Better community – create a more connected community, not just a group of residents

I see the biggest opportunities for Parker in three parts:

W Tyndall Pkwy corridor – upgraded and aligned to attract the mix of businesses we want to be a part of our community

E Tyndall Pkwy corridor – the biggest ‘opportunity zone’ incorporating commercial, community, retail and housing – we need to do more with our waterfront access

Bus 98 Downtown corridor – what should our new ‘downtown Parker’ look like?

Housing is first among our many priorities:  It must be more attractive and sustainable across our target socioeconomic groups. It must be structurally sound, affordable with amenities and communities to enhance it.

Parker should be a place to come to – welcoming, convenient, safe, quiet, connected. If TAFB, Eastern Shipbuilding and WestRock are our primary employers, we need to focus on how we can attract and retain more of the people and organizations associated with them (employees, business partners, vendors, suppliers). That is how we will create a vibrant, resiliant and sustainable city and community.