Stacy Head
Stacy Head began her career in politics as an undergraduate student at Louisiana State University. While in college, she worked for the Louisiana state legislature and, after earning a law degree, worked briefly as an attorney. Head has served on the New Orleans City Council since 2006, when she defeated District B incumbent Renée Gill Pratt, who was subsequently indicted for racketeering. Head ran against what she termed the political machine of then-congressman Bill Jefferson (who was subsequently indicted and convicted of racketeering) and became the first white councilmember to represent District B in 31 years. Head was re-elected in February 2010.
Head's tenure on the council has been marked by a series of controversies, many related to her efforts to reform city government. In 2008, she began investigating the relationship between fees collected and services rendered by the sanitation department. This escalated into arguments about city contracts with minority businesses. When sanitation director Veronica White leaked thousands of e-mails from white members of the city council to activist lawyer Tracie Washington, the conflict expanded, eventually leading to a failed recall drive.
Despite her reputation, Head was elected councilmember-at-large in February 2012, a victory credited to the 12 percent black vote she received. She is now one of two councilmembers-at-large on the seven-person New Orleans City Council. She was reelected in 2014.
Sources:
» Donze, Frank. "Stacy Head New Orleans City Council Victory Credited to Turnout, Black Vote." The Times-Picayune, April 23, 2012. http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/04/turnout_black_vote_key_to_stac.html
» New Orleans City Council. "Stacy Head: Councilmember-At-Large." http://www.nolacitycouncil.com/meet/meet_head_atlarge.asp
» White, Jaquetta. "Head Defends Her Record as Green Attacks It in At-large Council Race." The New Orleans Advocate, January 28, 2014. http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/home/8169584-172/head-defends-her-record-as