Brian A. Moore first entertained thoughts of becoming mayor just a few weeks ago. Those thoughts became reality for the 48-year-old on Tuesday afternoon.
Moore, who has represented Ward 4 on the seven-member council since 2004, received five votes for mayor during a City Council organizational meeting at City Hall.
Councilman Kenneth Pritchett received two votes for mayor — his own and that of first-term Councilwoman Treska Wilson-Smith.
"Petersburg is a great place to be, and I want to make it better," said Moore, who is the founder and president of Cogency Industries Inc., a telecommunications consulting and design business. "We're in a good position to move forward."
Moore succeeds longtime Councilwoman Annie M. Mickens as Petersburg's mayor. Mickens, who headed the council for the past six years, lost her re-election bid in November to challenger W. Howard Myers.
"I can't fill Mayor Mickens' shoes. She left a great legacy for us, and we've got to move forward," Moore said. "I'm sure she'll be out there supporting us."
Also at the meeting, Horace P. Webb was narrowly re-elected to a fourth consecutive term as vice mayor. Councilman David Ray Coleman received three votes.
The term for both positions is two years.
Despite serving as vice mayor since 2005, Webb said he wanted to remain in the position rather than rising to mayor. He is committed to helping the city move forward and spoke highly of Moore's leadership ability.
"He's energetic. He has a lot of enthusiasm for the city," said Webb, who nominated Moore for mayor.
Moore and Webb will lead a council that features two new members and searches for a new city manager. City Manager B. David Canada plans to retire in June.
Some of the top priorities facing the council this year are continuing to promote development within the city despite the struggling economy and improving government efficiency, Moore said.
jslayton@timesdispatch.com
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