The honorable Mayor Francis Slay is the second oldest of 11 children in a household in which public service was encouraged. An attorney by trade, he joined the law firm of Guilfoil, Petzall and Shoemake in 1981, where he practiced for 20 years and became a partner specializing in corporate law and commercial litigation. Mayor Slay received his law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law. He holds a degree in political science from Quincy College. Prior to being elected the Mayor served as a St. Louis Alderman for 10 years, then as President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen from 1995 to 2001.
Elected to office in 2001, Mayor Francis Slay has been a strong proponent of St. Louis, its businesses and international connections. We have been honored that Mayor Slay has met every Russian delegation the Committee has brought to St. Louis. His most recent visit was with the Samaran Medical Delegation in November, 2010. Updates and information from the Mayor's office can be found on his blog and also on Twitter. The Mayor and his wife, Kim, live with three rescued dogs. Their children, Francis, Jr., and Katherine, are grown. Mr. Slay was sworn in as the 45th Mayor of the City of St. Louis on April 17, 2001. He was re-elected by large margins in April 2005 and April 2009.