[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 81 (Thursday, May 17, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E669-E670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING MAYOR RICHARD WARD OF HURST, TEXAS ON HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KENNY MARCHANT

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 17, 2018

  Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
public servant from my district, Mayor Richard Ward of Hurst, Texas, 
who is retiring after 22 years of service to his community.
  Richard Ward has served as Mayor of the City of Hurst for the last 14 
years, but his commitment to his nation and community began well before 
then. Just after graduating from Polytechnic High School in Fort Worth, 
he served in the Army from 1954 to 1957 as an X-ray technician 
stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. Upon his return to Texas, Richard 
began a career as a medical instruments salesman and later in Human 
Resource Management, after receiving a bachelor of General Studies 
Degree from Texas Christian University in 1982. His work has taken him 
to several prestigious institutes including Medical Plaza Hospital in 
Fort Worth, Parkland Hospital in Dallas, and Cornerstone Health 
Management in Dallas.
  In 1962, Richard became a resident of Hurst and began volunteering in 
youth sports and civil groups. He served on the Board of Directors for 
Pee Wee Football Association, as a

[[Page E670]]

coach for Little Dribblers Basketball, and as a Scout Master for the 
Boy Scouts of America.
  Richard was first elected to the City Council of Hurst in 1976 and 
served through 1980; he then served again from 2000-2004. In 2004, 
Richard was elected mayor, a position that he has honorably held for 
the last 14 years, working tirelessly to improve the Hurst community.
  Under Mayor Ward's leadership, Hurst has seen incredible growth. As a 
part of the Transforming Hurst Initiative, the city has completed a 
series of ambitious projects including the Hurst Conference Center, the 
Hurst Senior Center, Fire Station 2, the Hurst Justice Center, and the 
Hurst Chisholm and Central Aquatic Centers. The city has also expanded 
parks and recreation programs and championed customer service and staff 
development initiatives. Through this process, Mayor Ward has earned a 
reputation for balancing fiscal responsibility and economic 
development. In collaboration with Hurst Councilmembers, he has been 
able to establish partnerships with local developers and community 
leaders to revitalize and transform the community.
  At the heart of these projects is a commitment to public safety and 
high quality of life for Hurst's nearly 40,000 residents. In 
recognition of his efforts and those of councilmembers, the Texas City 
Manager's Association (TCMA) recognized the Hurst City Council as 
``Council of the Year'' in both 2013 and 2014.
  For more than two decades, Richard Ward has demonstrated unreserved 
dedication to public service and community involvement. Mr. Speaker, on 
behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all of my 
distinguished colleagues to join me in honoring Mayor Richard Ward for 
his extraordinary service and wishing him and his family the best in 
his retirement.

                          ____________________