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Richard Greene was elected Mayor in April 1987 after more than a decade of service as chairman of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission and as Mayor Pro-Tem.

During his five mayoral terms, the City of Arlington launched its first full-scale economic development initiative in a partnership with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce under the direction of a council-citizen oversight committee. The program gained statewide recognition and resulted in a period of significant economic growth and new employment opportunities for Arlington residents.

Addressing concerns about the city’s traffic congestion and mobility problems, Greene led aggressive road construction programs as mayor. The programs were endorsed by Arlington voters in several bond elections that effectively resulted in better roadways and a ten-fold increase in street construction in the city.

Believing that public safety was the highest priority, Greene led annual budget discussions so that the portion of the city’s resources devoted to the police and fire departments grew from about one-third of general fund expenditures to nearly one-half. Increases in the police department and the addition of new fire stations in growing areas of the city gave residents higher levels of safety and security.

When competing cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area attempted to convince the Texas Rangers Baseball Club to leave Arlington, Greene developed a winning plan to build a new ballpark for the team as part of a proposed public-private partnership. Arlington voters overwhelmingly approved the plan in the largest-ever voter turnout in a local election.

The Texas Rangers, in its new home, won its first-ever division championship, hosted the 1995 All-Star Game, and brought new economic benefits to the city along with more national recognition during Greene’s tenure as Mayor.

During the recession of the early 1990s, General Motors put the 40-year-old Arlington plant on the list for possible closure. Greene mobilized the local community, the Texas governor, and the area’s congressional delegation to assist in a campaign to convince GM decision makers that the Arlington plant should be re-tooled. Today, the GM Arlington plant continues to be a vital part of the local economy.
Richard Greene’s passion for the environment led to other noted accomplishments. He authored the city’s first ordinance to limit smoking in public places and supported creation of the Living Science Center at River Legacy Parks.

Richard Greene at General Motors

Born in 1943 at the U.S. Navy hospital in Idaho, Greene grew up in Louisiana. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northeast Louisiana University. He is also a graduate of the School of Mortgage Banking at Northwestern University in Chicago.

Richard Greene’s tenure as Arlington mayor ended in May 1997.

In honor of his many years of dedicated public service, a six-acre linear park at 1601 E. Randol Mill Road bears his name. In 1997, a section of turf located behind Center Field at the Ballpark in Arlington was named Greene’s Hill for his contributions to the Texas Rangers baseball club. A scholarship program for high school seniors was also established by the Texas Rangers and is named in honor of Greene’s dedication to youth and education.

After his 10-year stint as mayor ended, Greene was appointed EPA Regional Administrator by President Bush in 2003. He led the oversight of federal environmental programs for Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

His business career has also included work in higher education as well as senior management roles in the automobile and banking industries. He has served as the associate publisher of the Star-Telegram and CEO of the Dallas 2012 Olympic Bid Committee.
Today, Richard Greene resides in Arlington with his wife, Sylvia. They are the parents of three adult children and have two grandchildren.

He currently serves as an adjunct professor in the UT-Arlington School of Urban and Public Affairs and as a director of the River Legacy Foundation, the board of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and the Salvation Army Youth Education Town Center.