City of Tyler swears in re-elected District 2 Councilmember

On Wednesday, May 27, re-elected Councilmember Petra Hawkins (District 2) was re-sworn into office. Hawkins has also been selected as Mayor Pro Tem. Members of the Council elect the Mayor Pro Tem, who serves in the mayor's absence for a one-year term. 

Meet the re-elected official:  

Photograph of Pastor Gary Choice Sr and District 2 Councilmember
Petra Hawkins

Petra Hawkins was born and raised in Tyler. She attended public schools in the Tyler Independent School District. Upon graduating from John Tyler High School with honors in 1989, she attended Tyler Junior College, earning her Certificate in Proficiency in 1992. 

After passing the Texas State Board of Nursing Exam, she became a Licensed Vocational Nurse. Just six years later, she earned her Associate Degree in Nursing, obtaining the title of Registered Nurse after passing the state boards in 1998. She later pursued her love and passion for real estate by becoming a Professional Texas Real Estate Agent in 2022. 
 
Petra is a current member of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, Tyler Metro Chamber of Commerce, Tyler Area Builders’ Association, and the National Association of Real Estate Brokers.
 
She is a daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, cousin, colleague, and trusted friend. For leisure, Petra enjoys meditation and practices mindfulness. She also loves spending time with family, networking, traveling, reading, writing/journaling, singing, gardening, and swimming. 
 
Petra has been married to Roderick T. Hawkins for over 30 years. They have three children: Tiasha, who is also a nurse and a mentor that offers guidance, healing and support on a spiritual level; Bria, who has earned her master's in clinical psychology; ‘Lil Rod’ who has received his BBA from Charleston Southern University in Charleston, South Carolina, where he also plays football as a running back and is now in Grad School. In addition, they have ten grandchildren who are very intelligent and athletically talented.