U.S. Mayor of the Year 2017: Sylvester Turner

From August 25th to the 29th of 2017, the state of Texas went through a natural disaster so devastating that it beat records for death rates, loss of property, and emotional stability. To date, there are reported to be at least 70 deaths due to the storm, as well as over 1 million individuals reported as displaced from their homes. What first started as a mere tropical storm, escalated into a Category 4 hurricane in a matter of days. As a city, we suffered from over 50 inches of rainfall in three days, and winds reaching over 130 miles per hour.

We are talking about Harvey, which caused a “thousand year flood” that took over the better part of half the state. From Corpus Christi to Houston, the region as a whole is thankful for some of the positive outcomes of this tragedy. Mayor Sylvester Turner was Houston’s true leader during the devastation caused by Harvey. Turner braved the storm and for that, HFR magazine would like to thank him.

As our city of Houston went through pure turmoil this past month with the havoc of Hurricane Harvey, Turner handled the chaos better than we could have ever imagined. He did an excellent job reaching out to Houstonians, tweeting often with a calm and reassuring tone that everything was and will be okay. He was on the news several times a day addressing issues like flooded homes, finding the safest routes to travel, medical emergencies, and the community being worried about their overall well-being. 

He made many major decisions, like when to release the water in the bayous and dams, and whether or not residents of the city needed to evacuate. Turner’s decisions saved many lives, and our city from even more destruction. Times like this can make or break someone, and Turner showed he was a true leader, not only to the city of Houston, but to the entire country. Here’s a breakdown of the reasons why Sylvester Turner is rated #1 in our books:

• He Kept Houstonians Informed: Turner wanted everyone to know what to expect with the storm and what to do in certain situations, so he made a constant effort to reach out to the public via Twitter to update them on what was happening, tweeting multiples times an hour to keep everyone up to date on the situation.
• He effectively coordinated all city government departments: In a timely matter, Turner got together all city government officials to search out those in need of help. Every department was functioning in a synergetic matter and gave the best possible effort, considering that we were dealing with a “thousand year flood”.
• He kept his cool: With everyone in automatic panic mode trying to survive the storm, Turner kept a brave face for his city and let us know numerous times that everything was okay, even when we doubted him. He was featured on the news numerous times with a calm demeanor letting everyone know what to do in case their homes flooded, and how to safely evacuate if need be.
• He was a perfect example of HoUSton Strong: Turner, along with Texas governor Greg Abbott, wanted the country to know that we were being “Texas Strong”, and even though they appreciated all the help from other states and the federal government, they had expert control of the situation at hand. The local community came together and helped one another out, and made us all proud.

Health Fitness Revolution founder and Harper Collins author of ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic praises Houston Mayor Turner: “I have known Mayor Turner for over 10 years, and he has always displayed courage, honor, and intellectual thinking. With Hurricane Harvey, he brought these three qualities to a new level. This is why I am extremely honored that Health Fitness Revolution magazine is awarding Mayor Turner with the title of ‘U.S. Mayor of the Year 2017’. I believe that no one in America is more deserving of this title.”