After a 20-year distinguished career in public service, Senator Melvin "Kip" Holden was inaugurated Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish on January 3, 2005. With a vision of leading Baton Rouge to become America's next great city, Mayor Holden has lead our parish through a period of progress and growth, laying the groundwork to our community to become what we all imagine it can be.
Immediately following his election, Mayor Holden assembled a diverse team of over 100 community leaders, citizens and university students to form his "Green Light Baton Rouge Citizens Council" to help develop his "Framework for Progress", the planning document which has served as the foundation for his administration's first term in office.
The results - the most respected national rankings for cities across America show Baton Rouge making tremendous progress for both business and quality of life:
Forbes Magazine List of Best Cities for Jobs - Up 38 places in One Year
Inc. Magazine's Rankings of Best Cities for Business - Up 219 places in One Year -
Baton Rouge Called a "Boomtown"
Expansion Magazine - Top 20 Areas for Bringing in Business -
8th in the country in business recruitment and attraction
Milken Institute - Named Baton Rouge one of "Biggest Gainers" on Best Performing Cities Index - Up 65 places
Prevention Magazine's Top 100 Best Walking Cities in America -- #1 in Louisiana
Upon his inauguration, he embarked on an ambitious journey to revitalize Downtown Baton Rouge, create and arts and entertainment district and market Baton Rouge to the film and video industry. He has the city moving on a Riverfront Masterplan, redesigning a Town Square to provide more venues for arts and cultural activities. In 2006, Mayor Holden launched a new Economic Development Initiative for East Baton Rouge Parish that includes a partnership with the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce to market the parish, the opening of two Minority Business Opportunity Centers to help small businesses participate in Louisiana's economic recovery, a micro-loan program and Bankers' Roundtable to assist small business development.
Recognized nationally for his leadership during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Mayor Holden managed a City-Parish that became a place of refuge for over 200,000 evacuees from South Louisiana in less than one week. Under his guidance, the East Baton Rouge Parish of Homeland Security received full national accreditation, one of only ten Emergency Management Programs, and one of two city/county governments, to meet the nation's highest standards.
In 2005, he proposed the parish's first bond program in over 40 years to improve traffic flow and infrastructure, breaking ground on the first projects within months of winning its overwhelming approval by the voters. At a time when Louisiana was reeling from the devastation of two hurricanes, Mayor Holden took his city's story to Wall Street and bond rating agencies upgraded bonds for East Baton Rouge Parish based on his administration's sound management policies, saving the taxpayers millions of dollars in interest.
Throughout his career, Mayor Holden has worked to improve education and has been honored for his accomplishments. As Mayor-President, he has delivered new volunteer programs and technology partnerships for East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools, including the largest software donation in East Baton Rouge Parish history, a $307 million grant from UGS that will provide 3-D imaging software for classes in math, science and the arts for students from the third grade through high school to help prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.
Mayor Holden is a graduate of both Baton Rouge universities, earning a B.A. in Journalism from LSU, a Masters degree in Journalism from Southern University, a Juris Doctorate from Southern University School of Law and an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Public Policy from Southern University. He was also invited to study at the Oxford University Round Table in England. Mayor Holden was recently honored by both universities by being inducted into the LSU Manship School of Communications Hall of Fame and the Southern University Law Center Hall of Fame.
With experience on the Metro Council and as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and Senate, Mayor Holden has extensive knowledge of East Baton Rouge Parish government.
Born in New Orleans on August 12, 1952, Mayor Holden is married to Lois Stevenson Holden and is the father of five children, Melvin, II; Angela; Monique; Myron and Brian Michael. He is a member of Greater King David Baptist Church.