Mark Johnson, the newly elected Mayor of Covington (Photo Credit- Mark Johnson)

(COVINGTON, La.) — Mark Johnson became the new Covington mayor on Saturday, March, 30th, succeeding Mayor Mike Cooper. Johnson graduated from SPS in 1976 and his four sons all attended St. Paul’s.

Mark Johnson, 2nd from left, trying on his band uniform for the first time (Photo Credit- Karen Johnson)

Johnson has a long history with the school. “As a boy, I used to fish in the pond. When I got a little bit older, the New Orleans Saints held training camp on the practice field and we would ride our bikes to watch them. After practice we would carry the equipment back to LaSalle Hall where the players stayed,” he said.

As mayor, Johnson said he wants to “preserve and improve the quality of life of our city.” He plans to focus on necessary improvements to areas susceptible to heavy flooding and enhancing the community of the West 30s.

Much like Mayor Mike Cooper, Mayor Mark Johnson also plans to be somewhat involved with the school. “Next year I would like to participate in Jazz n’ Roll or the Alumni Crawfish Boil- anything the administration invites me to and my schedule allows.”