She acknowledged achievements like funding for Panther Island and Texas A&M’s downtown expansion, but argued the community hasn’t done enough to prepare Fort Worth students for the workforce.

“My vision is that every single student has access to a credential or degree before the graduate high school in Fort Worth,” Parker said.

She pointed to the need for skilled nurses and plans by Lockheed Martin to hire 38,000 people over the next 20 years, and said her council on education and workforce development is partnering with school districts to develop programs that will give students a pathway to a high paying job either right out of high school or shortly after.

Parker also touted the city’s recently passed 2023 budget, which she said will make improvements to public safety by supporting what she called “pro-police and pro-community,” initiatives.

She noted the budget includes funding for 53 additional sworn police officers, and supports the ‘One-Second Collaborative,’ a partnership between the city, county, and United Way of Tarrant County to address youth gun violence.

She also pointed to items in the budget to improve public cleanliness.

“The broken windows theory is something we subscribe to in this city, and a clean city is also a safe city,” Parker told Margaret Hoover, journalist and host of the PBS show “Firing Line.”

The budget adds funding to connect residents experiencing homelessness to services, while also adding funding for street sweepers and litter crews.

Being a world class city means ensuring every ZIP code across Fort Worth has the highest quality of life, Parker said.

She took time in her speech to recognize Fort Worth’s diversity, saying the city can be both “Cowtown and Funkytown” at the same time.

The city’s diversity is one of its strengths along with the ability of residents to come together to move the city forward.

“In Fort Worth, we attack problems, not people,” Parker said.