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Richard Greene was elected mayor in April, 1987, following more than a decade of service as Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission and as Mayor Pro-Tem.

During his five mayoral terms, the city launched its first full scale economic development initiative in a partnership with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce under the control of a council-citizen oversight committee. The program gained state wide recognition and resulted in a period of significant economic growth and new jobs for Arlington citizens.

Addressing concerns about the city’s traffic congestion and related mobility problems, Greene led an aggressive road construction program endorsed by Arlington voters in several bond elections that effectively resulted in a ten-fold increase in street building.

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 almost one-half. Increases in the police force and the addition of new fire stations in growing areas of the city assured residents of greater 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 plan to build a new ballpark for the team. The proposed public-private partnership envisioned a relationship with the team that would keep Arlington among the ranks of major league cities. The ultimate decision was left to Arlington voters who overwhelmingly approved the plan in the largest ever voter turn out in a local election.

The Rangers, in their new home, won their first-ever division championships, hosted the 1995 All Star Game, and brought new economic benefits to the city along with increased national attention on the city.

During the recession of the early 1990s, General Motors put the 40 year old Arlington plant on the list of those they were considering shutting down. 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 ought to be re-tooled, making it part of the company’s long term future. Today the plant is building the most popular vehicles in the GM lineup.

Richard Greene at General Motors

Since his appointment as EPA Regional Administrator by President Bush in March, 2003, Richard Greene has led the oversight of federal environmental programs throughout Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas with a pragmatic and common sense approach to the mission of protecting human health and the environment while preserving the economic competitiveness of the Region.

"Our work reminds me every day that there are 35 million people in this Region who are counting on us for cleaner air, purer water and better protected land. Knowing the dedication of the professional team I am privileged to serve with, I am confident of our collective commitment to meet those expectations."

Mayor Greene's business career includes work in the fields of higher education, the media, the Olympic movement as well as senior management roles in the automobile and banking industries. He holds a B.S. degree in business administration and is a graduate of the School of Mortgage Banking at Northwestern University in Chicago.