Parker, Annise, 1956-

Annise Danette Parker (born May 17, 1956) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the 61st Mayor of Houston, Texas from 2010 until 2016. She also served as an at-large member of the Houston City Council from 1998 to 2003 and city controller from 2004 to 2010. Parker was Houston's second female mayor (after Kathy Whitmire), and one of the first openly gay mayors of a major U.S. city.

Born in Houston, she earned a B.A. degree from Rice University before working in the oil and gas industry as a software analyst for over 20 years, including 18 years at Mosbacher Energy. In addition, she co-owned Inklings Bookshop with business partner Pokey Anderson from the late 1980s until 1997 and served as president of the Neartown Civic Association from 1995 to 1997. In 1986 and 1987, she was president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus. Parker ran unsuccessfully for City Council District C in 1991 and again in 1995, finishing third in the special election for At-Large position 4, the seat vacated by Sheila Jackson Lee after her election to Congress. In 1997, Parker prevailed in the runoff election for At-Large position 1 to become Houston's first openly gay elected official. She was re-elected twice to the same seat in 1999 and 2001 without being forced to a run-off. In 2003, Parker was elected City Controller; she was re-elected in 2005 and 2007 unopposed.

Parker was elected Mayor of Houston in 2009. Parker’s three terms as Mayor included passage and implementation of Rebuild Houston, a pay-as-you-go comprehensive street and drainage improvement program that will provide jobs for Houstonians for years to come; voter approval of a $410 million public improvement bond program; creation of an independent organization to oversee the City’s crime lab operations; a unique sobering center for public intoxication cases; adoption of a long-term financial plan that ensures the stability of the City’s water department and reorganization of City departments to achieve cost savings and more efficient operations. She created a new City department focused on the needs of neighborhoods and the Office of Business Opportunity to help minority and women-owned small business enterprises compete for City contracts. Additionally, she won City Council approval of a Historic Preservation Ordinance that, for the first time, provides real protection for historic properties in City-designated historic districts and she issued one of the most comprehensive non-discrimination orders in the nation. Limited to three two-year terms, she left office in 2016.

After leaving office, Parker served as a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics. Parker is currently CEO and President of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute. She is also a professor at the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University. In 2017 after her role as Mayor of Houston, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for BakerRipley.