Merrideth Jeran Akers (born c. 1947) was the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Plano, Texas from 2000–2002, and ran for the Republican nomination for

Collin County Collin County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Dallas- Fort Worth- Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and a small portion of the city of Dallas is in the county. At the 2020 United States census, the county's popula ...

Commissioner in 2006.

Early life and career

Akers was born in Cordova, Alabama. Akers graduated from the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

in 1969 with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

in Marketing. While a student at Alabama, Akers was a member of the

Air Force ROTC The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) is one of the three primary commissioning sources for officers in the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, the other two being the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) ...

and the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, as well as the

Arnold Air Society The Arnold Air Society (AAS) is a professional, honorary, service organization. AAS is open to officer candidates in Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) and at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), and is formally affiliated ...

. He served in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

from 1969 to 1973, earning the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. While in the Air Force, Akers received a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in Public Administration. After the Air Force, Akers moved to Texas in 1975 and lived in Plano, Texas since 1985.

Political career

Akers served on the

Plano City Council The Plano City Council is the governing body of the City of Plano, Texas, United States. The Council operates using the council-manager government. They hold regular meetings at the Plano Municipal Center on the second and fourth Monday of every ...

from 1993-1999, including as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem from 1997–1998 and Mayor Pro Tem from 1998-1999. Akers was elected mayor on May 6, 2000, with 64.17% of the vote, defeating opponent Dick Bode. While Mayor of Plano, Akers founded the Collin County Mayors’ Alliance and was a member of the

Metroplex A metroplex is a conurbation with more than one principal anchor city of near equal importance. Metroplex may refer to: * Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, a conurbation in Texas, U.S. *Eastgate Metroplex, a professional/retail complex in Tulsa, O ...

Mayor’s Alliance. Akers served one term as mayor before being defeated by Pat Evans in 2002.

Post-mayor life

In 2006, Akers lost election the Republican Primary for County Commissioner to Jack Hatchell.2006 Election Results , http://www.co.collin.tx.us/elections/election_results/2006/030706/030706CAT.htm From 2010 to 2013, Akers was the President and CEO of the Celina Chamber of Commerce.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akers, Jeran Living people Mayors of Plano, Texas University of Alabama alumni 1940s births Place of birth missing (living people) Texas Republicans People from Cordova, Alabama