City of Arlington Dedicates Courtroom at Municipal Court for Former Councilman Robert Shepard
A courtroom at the Arlington Municipal Court was dedicated Friday in honor of long-time resident, volunteer and former City Councilman Robert Shepard.
Shepard, who has practiced business, real estate, construction, and banking law in Arlington since 1983, served as the District 6 At-Large City Council representative from 2008 to 2020. He is the fourth of 11 trailblazers, civic leaders and faith leaders tapped by the City’s Honorary Naming Recognition Task Force to be recognized for their service or their contributions to the city.
Past and present City Council representatives, City leadership and community members were among the many who attended the dedication ceremony to celebrate Shepard’s service for the past two decades. The Arlington Municipal Court is located at 101 S. Mesquite St. in Downtown.
“When we discussed as a committee why he deserved this type of recognition. It’s because we wanted to recognize someone who leads quietly. His leadership on council and in this community have been just that. He has not cared about the spotlight, he never cared about the recognition, in fact I had to talk him into something like this,” said Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Victoria Farrar-Myers, who served as chair of the Honorary Naming Recognition Task Force, said during Friday’s ceremony. But Robert Shepard has set the groundwork for what our City will be going forward because he cared enough to set the laws in place that will govern. And this is the place where we will enforce those laws.”
Former District 7 At-Large City Councilman Jimmy Bennett was among friends and colleagues who attended the ceremony.
“He only practiced law so he could make enough money to play music. He plays the bass, and I got to thinking about that because that ties him all together. What is the bass? It’s the heartbeat….It’s not just the character that’s there, it’s not just the commitment to others that’s there,” Bennett said. “It’s the heartbeat. He’s the heartbeat. He’s the thing that makes things go. And without the heart and the heartbeat, how successful are you really going to be? And I think this city is fortunate that at a critical time in its history, a person like Robert Shepard found himself in a position to make a difference.
Shepard and his wife Loria have called Arlington home for nearly 40 years. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from The University of Texas at Arlington and then went on to earn his law degree from St. Mary’s University.
During his council tenure, Shepard served as Mayor Pro Tempore from 2018-2020. He was also chair of the City Council’s Economic Development Committee, where he worked to refine the City’s economic development strategies to help Arlington attract and retain the types of private investment and high-paying jobs that make our community a great place to live and work.
In addition to his time on City Council, Shepard served on a number of boards and organizations, often in leadership roles. These included roles as president of Downtown Arlington Inc., chair of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee, chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission, and positions on the Arlington Public Library Board, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Board, and the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation Board, among others. Additionally, Shepard was named the City of Arlington Volunteer of the Year in 2007.
When he’s not relaxing at the golf course, Shepard said he remains active in the community through the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and through the First Baptist Church Praise Band.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by the City in such a long-standing way,” Shepard said of the courtroom dedication.
City Council District 5
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