[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 71 (Monday, April 26, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN HONOR OF MAYOR JEFF WILLIAMS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MARC A. VEASEY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 26, 2021

  Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a friend 
and the retiring Mayor of Arlington, Texas. Warren Jeff Williams is a 
dedicated public servant and an advocate for Arlington. His leadership 
will be missed but I know he will continue to be an active member of 
our community.
  Jeff grew up in Sherman, Texas but often visited relatives in 
Arlington and attended Texas Rangers games as a child.
  His father and grandfather worked in the construction business but 
Jeff had a plan to go to law school until he got to Texas Tech 
University where he became interested in engineering and ultimately 
received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 1981. 
Texas Tech is also where Jeff met his wife, Karen, a photography 
student.
  Jeff and Karen, now have 3 adult children, Natalie, Suzanne, and 
Ryan, and 7 grandchildren, all under the age of 6. They moved to 
Arlington in 1984, and their children grew up attending Arlington 
public schools.
  Jeff is the President and CEO of Graham Associates, a civil 
engineering and surveying firm based in Arlington. He has been the 
Civil Engineer on many landmark projects including AT&T Stadium, Globe 
Life Park, Parks Mall, IH-30 Three Bridges, and River Legacy Living 
Science Center. Jeff has been recognized as a Distinguished Engineer by 
his alma mater and is a member of the Civil Engineering Honor 
Fraternity at both Texas Tech and the University of Texas at Arlington.
  In addition to his success as an engineer, Jeff is also dedicated to 
serving his community. He has served on the boards of the Arlington 
Chamber of Commerce, the Cotton Bowl Association, the Arlington 
Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Arlington YMCA, River Legacy 
Foundation, and Project Restore Hope Foundation; as a co-chair of the 
Salvation Army annual luncheon; as a committee chairman and Sunday 
School teacher at First Baptist Church Arlington; and as chairman of 
the 2014 Arlington school district bond committee.
  Jeff is completing his final term as Mayor of Arlington in June 2021, 
drawing to a close a remarkable tenure of civic service that has 
spanned six years, between 2015 and 2021; and Mayor Williams came into 
office with a message that it was time for change and, during his 
tenure, played a vital role, championing municipal projects such as the 
Abram Street rebuild, a new Downtown Library and City Center, and two 
new recreation centers (the East Arlington Branch Library and The 
Beacon); downtown development including Urban Union, East Main, and the 
Levitt Pavilion expansion; and innovation including on-demand transit, 
high speed solutions, and an Envision Center.
  He supported important economic projects including redeveloping the 
old Six Flags Mall into the Arlington Logistics Center; opening Summit 
Racing, Rent the Runway, a UPS regional hub, and Nanoscope Technologies 
in Arlington; and relocating the national headquarters of DR Horton, 
Texas Health Resources, and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor to Arlington.
  And, over the past six years, the entertainment district exploded. 
Texas Live, Live by Loews, and the new Globe Life Field opened to the 
public. Globe Life Park was repurposed. The National Medal of Honor 
Museum chose Arlington to be its future home. Mayor Williams helped to 
safely bring the World Series, Professional Bull Riders World Finals, 
and National Finals Rodeo to town during the pandemic.
  He worked to establish a Unity Council to study equity and equality 
in our community and Unite Arlington Weekends to serve those in need.
  Mayor Williams's efforts have not gone unnoticed across our nation. 
He was selected by the U.S. Conference of Mayors to serve as the 
Chairman of the prestigious U.S. Metro Economies committee for his 
incredible results and experience in economic development. He was also 
selected as 1 of 20 Mayors to participate in the Harvard Bloomberg 
Leadership program as well as the Yale School of Management for CEO's 
and Mayors. Mayor Williams worked tirelessly to seek pandemic relief 
funding on a national scale.
  Mayor Williams's adept and forward-looking leadership has helped 
guide Arlington through a transformative period in its history, and his 
many valuable contributions will continue to resonate in the years to 
come.
  Jeff has a gift of empowering citizens, fostering partnerships, and 
encouraging us to all Dream Big.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in 
congratulating Mayor Jeff Williams and extending our best wishes to him 
for continued success in his future endeavors. He has given his time 
and talents to Arlington, which is a better place because of his 
service.

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