District 1
Chad West
Council Member Chad West has been serving District 1 residents on the Dallas City Council since June 2019.
In that time, he has proudly led Oak Cliff neighborhoods through a global pandemic, and recovery from a historic winter storm.
Mayor Pro Tem West's policy record from 2019 to present includes:
Public Safety:
Supported fully funding the police while advocating for accountability in undocumented overtime
Created the District 1 Public Safety Advisory Committee to give neighbors a voice on public safety issues
Initiated traffic-calming measures to protect pedestrians and worked to reduce street racing and speeding
Small Business:
Reopened antiquated parking code to consider new mobility alternatives
Advocated for small business financial assistance to close the Paycheck Protection Program loan equity gap
Created #WePPEinOC to provide much-needed personal protection equipment to small businesses
Homelessness and Housing:
Issued 1,000 Unit Affordable Housing Challenge and launched the initiative to end veteran homelessness
Advocated for an improved building permitting process for new and rehab development
Passed Neighborhood Empowerment Zones and worked to make ADUs more accessible
Voted to lower the property tax rate
Voted to increase the senior citizen homestead exemption to $90,000.
Arts, Culture and Parks:
Launched plan to reimagine the North Oak Cliff Library
Worked on the expansion of Coombs Creek Trail expansion project and saves the Coombs Creek gnomes
Supported equitable funding to expand the after-school arts programming for DISD students and funding for access passes for students to Dallas cultural and arts facilities
Working to bring more parks and recreation improvements to District 1, including a new skate park
Transportation and Infrastructure:
Initiated the creation of the citywide Parklet Program
Vocal advocate and leader in expanding bicycle lanes and trails
Initiated construction of pedestrian islands and other traffic-calming measures throughout District 1
Mayor Pro Tem West has lived in North Oak Cliff for nearly two decades. He's the son of a retired farmer and a teacher and principal. The U.S. Army sent him to college and eventually brought him to Texas in 1999, where he first served at Fort Sam Houston and later traveled overseas to Hungary and Bosnia. After completing his military tour, West was honorably discharged as a combat veteran and attended law school at Texas Tech School of Law, where he graduated with honors.
Prior to his election to City Council, West served on the Dallas City Plan Commission from 2017 to 2018. On CPC, West was a key advocate for and drafter of ordinances for Live-Work, Accessory Dwelling Units and Inclusionary Zoning, all of which are currently being used by the City of Dallas today to create more rooftops for residents of all income levels.
West is a past representative (2012 and 2017) on the city's Bond Task Force, where he worked to secure funding for Oak Cliff streets, renovations at Kidd Springs Park and the expansion of the Coombs Creek Trail.
West is a small business owner and attorney. He opened his own law practice in 2010 in Oak Cliff and has won numerous awards for his legal advocacy. West also owns and operates express tunnel car washes in Oak Cliff, Cedar Hill, and Ennis, and has personally led zoning and construction efforts in his projects.
In 2010, West co-founded Oak Cliff's signature 5K and 10K charity race, the Dash for the Beads, which raises grant funds to support health, wellness and arts programming for local youth. In 2017, the Dash for the Beads committee also founded the Last Bag Standing corn hole tournament, which provides funding for local youth programming. In addition to his neighborhood advocacy, West is a dedicated supporter and advocate for the LGBTQ community in Dallas.
West and his family live in North Oak Cliff. He is an avid runner, fantasy, historical and science fiction reader, and Texas Tech football fan.
Inaugurated 2019-06-17

Jess Moreno
Councilmember Jesse Moreno is a lifelong resident of District 2, where he was elected to serve in June 2021.
He has served the district for years, from more than seven years on the Dallas Park Board to volunteering with local schools and organizations.
He's also the third generation in his family to live in District 2, and he and his wife are growing the fourth with their daughter in the same neighborhood.
He has a track record of helping our community and putting neighbors first, and he continues to make that his focus through accountability and transparency.
Jesse serves on the following committees for the Dallas City Council: Workforce, Education and Equity. Public Safety, Transportation and Infrastructure, Housing and Homelessness Solutions, Ad Hoc on COVID-19 Recovery and Assistance.
Inaugurated 2021-06-14

District 3
Zarin D. Gracey
Zarin D. Gracey met and married his college sweetheart Erin in July of 2002. In 2014, they adopted their two sons David (13) and Clinton (11) to complete their family and for the past decade they have been raising their boys in District 3.
Zarin has served on several non-profit boards throughout the City of Dallas including Brother Bill's Helping Hand in West Dallas, Harmony Community Development Corporation in Oak Cliff and Park South YMCA in South Dallas. He has served as the Board Chair for the North Central Texas Regional Certification Agency and currently a board member for the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, the oldest Black Chamber in the country.
For nearly 16 years Zarin has worked in City Hall in the offices of budget, finance, procurement, business diversity, and economic development. Zarin holds a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff where he pledged Kappa Alpha Psi, a Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership from Luther Rice University and Seminary, and a certification in State and Local Government from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Additionally, Zarin served as the District 3 City Plan Commissioner and President of the Dallas Public Facilities Corporation. Finally, he has over 12 years of banking and finance experience in the private sector.
Councilman Gracey serves on the following committees for the Dallas City Council:
Transportation and Infrastructure | VICE CHAIR
Housing and Homelessness Solutions
Quality of Life, Arts, and Culture
Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention | CHAIR
Ad Hoc Committee on General Investigating and Ethics
Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Affairs
Inaugurated 2019-06-17

District 4
Carolyn King Arnold
Carolyn King Arnold was elected once again to the Dallas City Council in June 2019 to represent District 4 during a municipal run off. She returned to the horseshoe after being reelected in the special runoff election in December 2018. She won her first election in May 2015 with 51% of the vote over seven (7) candidates.

Jaime Resendez
Jaime Resendez was elected to the Dallas City Council in May 2019. He was born and raised in the Pleasant Grove area of Southeast Dallas. Like many others, he grew up in an economically disadvantaged household. His parents worked hard to make a living, but still struggled to make ends meet.
Every school that Jaime attended is in Southeast Dallas: R.C. Buckner, Julius Dorsey, E.B. Comstock and Skyline High School. With no money for college, he enlisted in the U.S. Army before graduating from high school and served for eight years as an engineer, including a year-long tour of duty in Baghdad, Iraq. The realities of war made him really appreciate our country and the opportunities it affords.
Upon returning from Iraq, Jaime went on to earn degrees with honors from Eastfield Community College and the University of North Texas at Dallas, and then a law degree from The University of Texas School of Law. He has been recognized with numerous awards, medals, and scholarships throughout his military and educational careers.
In 2016, Jaime was elected to serve on the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees and is credited with being the driving force behind the creation of the new dual language School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove and successfully advocating for a new $30M school building for Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary School. He is also a strong supporter of the ACE program, which dramatically improved student achievement at Edward Titche and Annie Webb Blanton elementary schools, with students at Blanton outperforming students in Highland Park. He is committed to bringing that same kind of impactful success to the City of Dallas and District 5.
Jaime is currently a practicing attorney.

Omar Narvaez
Omar Narvaez was elected to the Dallas City Council in June of 2017 and represents District 6. For over 80 years, Councilmember Narvaez' family has lived in District 6, in Ledbetter, La Loma and Bachman Lake neighborhoods.
Narvaez currently serves as Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. In addition, Mayor Johnson appointed him to serve on the following committee: Economic Development, Quality of Life, Arts & Culture, Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Affairs and Workforce, Education and Equity. On June 22, 2022 Narvaez was voted by his colleagues to serve as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem for the 2022-23 term.
In his third term, Council Member Narvaez served as Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee which was created by Mayor Eric Johnson in November of 2019. In addition, to the Environment & Sustainability Committee, Council Member Narvaez was also appointed to the following committees: Economic Development, Government Performance and Financial Management, Quality of Life & Arts and Culture, and Judicial Nominations Ad Hoc.
In his first term as a member of the Dallas City Council, Narvaez was named Dallas City Council Member of the Year for 2018 by the Dallas Observer Magazine. Since this accolade, Narvaez has continued to work diligently for District 6 and successfully negotiated $15 an hour minimum wages with 40% local hiring for 1,500 new jobs at an Amazon distribution facility and attracted the North American headquarters for Nokia to Dallas in Cypress Waters.
Omar believes in building stronger neighborhoods and working directly with community leaders. Because of these strong relationships, District 6 opened two new splash grounds in the Summer of 2019 and will open a regional aquatics facility in 2021. At the suggestion of local leaders, a new walking trail was installed around the Pavaho Wetlands sump on Canada Drive and now working on connecting the Bachman Loop to other trail systems. Narvaez believes in working with local and state agencies to bring resources to District 6, in 2018 the district partnered with State and County agencies to host a Safety Preparedness Fair that included free flu shots, and he successfully lobbied the Army Corp of Engineers to award Dallas $350 million to complete our flood control plan.
Narvaez has a passion for community involvement and has served as president of the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas & vice-president of League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) 4871. In 2013, he was awarded the first-ever LULAC 4871 'Nuestro Orgullo Award'. Omar Narvaez has served our city in elected, appointed and volunteer positions including:
Dallas County Schools Trustee – Elected 2014 to 2017
City of Dallas, Community & Development Commission 2009-2013
Sixth Floor Museum Board 2011-2015
Bishop Arts Cultural Center Board 2014-2016

Adam Bazaldua
Adam Bazaldua was elected to the Dallas City Council in June 2019 and is the youngest person to ever serve on the Council in it's current form of government.
Adam is a dedicated husband and father; a local teacher and a community advocate. Adam is focused on the need for neighborhood safety improvements, solving the City's growing homeless population, and attracting local businesses that better serve each neighborhood's needs. He is a dedicated advocate for economic growth that benefits the existing residents of the community.

Tennell Atkins
Tennell Atkins was first elected in June 2007 to represent Dallas City Council District 8, the southernmost district of Dallas. He began his 7th term as a Dallas City Council Member in June 2021. As the Dallas City Council representative for District 8, the Council Member is committed to promoting economic development, including new business recruitment, enhanced human capital support, and infrastructure renewal.
Council Member Atkins serves as the Chair of the Economic Development Committee, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Affairs, and Vice-Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He also serves on Government Performance and Financial Management Committee, Public Safety Committee, Ad Hoc Committee on General Investigating & Ethics and the Ad Hoc Committee on COVID-19 Recovery & Assistance.

Kathy Stewart
Councilmember Kathy Stewart serves as the District 10 Dallas City Council representative. Elected in 2023, Kathy is serving in her first term as the representative of northeast Dallas, including Lake Highlands and Hamilton Park.
Having been residents of Lake Highlands for 40 years, Kathy and her husband Robb share a passion for serving the community. Kathy, an attorney by profession, has served in many roles in this neighborhood, including owning and operating Highlands Cafe with other LH families for 10 years; serving as PTA president for three Lake Highland area schools, president of White Rock Valley Neighborhood Association, and Executive Director of the Lake Highlands Public Improvement District (PID) among others.
Kathy is currently serving as Chairman of the Parks, Trails and the Environment Committee and Vice Chairman of the Public Safety Committee. She is also a member of the Economic Development Committee, the Transportation Committee and the Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Affairs and the Ad Hoc Committee on the Pensions.
Kathy is here to serve and represent you, and is committed to working hard to ensure that District 10 is a safe, prosperous, and vibrant place to live, work, and raise a family.

Jaynie Schultz
Jaynie Schultz began her business career in 1988 when she and her mother designed, built, and operated Garrett Creek Ranch Conference Center in Paradise, Texas. The retreat center operated until 2013 when it was sold to Camp Summit, a camp for special needs children and adults. In 2009 Jaynie created Retreat Central, an online directory and marketing firm for camp retreat centers. Retreat Central was sold in 2018, and now Jaynie focuses on family investments, philanthropy, and volunteering.
Her community service career began in 1988 when she joined the grants committee of the Dallas (now Texas) Women’s Foundation.
In 2014 she was appointed to the Dallas City Plan Commission (District 11) which she served until September 2020 (Vice Chair 2019-2020). She chaired the Urban Design Committee (2014-2020), served on the City’s Market Value Analysis Committee, and sits on the Welcoming Communities Committee for the City of Dallas. Jaynie currently serves on the Muslim Jewish Advisory Council of the American Jewish Committee and the Akiba Yavneh Foundation.
Jaynie is President of the Foundation for CityLab High School, a DISD Choice school for architecture, urban planning and design, and environmental studies. This school is the only high school in downtown Dallas.
Nationally Jaynie serves the global community through the Advisory Council of We Repair, a global service organization.
Past board service includes:
Dallas Women’s Museum
Texas Women’s Foundation Board of Trustees
Board of Yavneh Academy High School, Dallas
President of Akiba Academy, Dallas
Founding Board member of Moishe House, the largest global Jewish young adult organization
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
Board member of the Jewish Funder’s Network, Foundation for Jewish Camp, the iCenter, and JESNA
Trustee, Americans for Ben Gurion University, Israel
Trustee, Birthright Israel Foundation
Participant in JDC’s Project Interface and the American Associates of Ben Gurion University Zin Fellows
Texas Israel Alliance
Jaynie is an innovator and entrepreneur in both business and philanthropy. As President of the Schultz Family Foundation, she has led to the creation of many new programs such as the Schultz Fellows, LearningFest, the Center for Jewish Education and many others.
Jaynie and her husband, Ron Romaner, have four children, Ben, Dalya, Adina, and Micah, and serve as the American home family to Dejene, Semegnew, Mekonnen and Mesfin Hodes, sons of the CNN Hero nominee, Dr. Rick Hodes of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Jaynie has a B.A. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.A. in Urban Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington. She graduated from Skyline High School in 1978.

District13
Gay Donnell Willis
Gay Donnell Willis' professional experience includes managing accounts for Fortune 50 companies at a global advertising firm, as well as a promotions and broadcast career at the CBS affiliate in Lubbock, Texas. Gay most recently served as President & CEO of the Turtle Creek Conservancy for nine years, during which time the nonprofit organization's budget doubled, a public private partnership helped link Turtle Creek Park to the Katy Trail with a $1.7 million ramp project, as well as creating a $1,000,000 endowment and securing an additional five acres of parkland under the Conservancy's oversight—growing urban park space by 24%. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).
Gay was Hon. Jennifer Gates appointee to the Vickery Meadow TIF Board, the 2017 Dallas Bond Committee/Critical Facilities SubCommittee and the Community Development Commission where she served on the Financial Oversight and Public Improvement Subcommittees. She has also served on the 2020 DISD Bond Commmittee/Safety & Security Subcommittee, as well as the Site Based Decision Making Committee at Emmett J. Conrad High School.
Her community career includes service as a 19 year active in the Junior League of Dallas, culminating as Community Vice President over 1,100 volunteers donating 120,000 hours across 40 nonprofit agencies, and oversight of two grantmaking bodies that distributed over $1.1 million, including Grants for Innovative Teaching. Gay co-chaired the 20th Anniversary of the Family Place Partners Card, that raised over $1,132,000 to help break the cycle of family violence. Other co-chair roles included the Walk to End Alzheimers, Friends of the Dallas Public Library Gala and Tex Protects Gala Dinner.
Gay is a graduate of the inaugural Leadership ISD '10, Leadership Dallas '14, and Leadership Texas Women '17.
'I am a fifth generation Texan, born in Dallas, raised in Fort Worth and am a proud graduate of Texas Tech University. I've lived and worked in Dallas for 26 years, with the last 20 years in District 13. My husband Michael Willis is President of TerraCORE Panels. We are raising our four children: Jessica and Melissa, both at University of North Texas – Denton; Lachlan, a 2021 graduate of DISD's Emmett J. Conrad High School and Dallas College (AAS Computer Science) and a freshman at Austin College in fall '21; and Marieve, a freshman at Greenhill School.'

Paul Ridley
Councilman Paul Ridley was first elected to the District 14 position of the Dallas City Council in June of 2021. He was reelected in June 2023, and is currently serving his second term. Councilman Ridley attended the University of Michigan, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree and master's degrees in architecture and urban planning.
After graduation, he took his first job as a staff planner for the City Plan Commission of Kansas City, Mo., and later went to work for an architecture firm to complete the requirements to become a licensed architect. Later, he decided to get a law degree and moved to Texas to attend the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. Following admission to the bar, Councilman Ridley practiced construction law and commercial litigation in Dallas for more than 30 years, during which time he founded three different law firms. He lives with his wife Joan in a century-old home in an Old East Dallas historic district, where he has lived for nearly 30 years.
Councilman Ridley has been committed to public service in Dallas for more than 15 years. He served on the Dallas Plan Commission for eight years representing City Council District 14. While on the Plan Commission, he chaired the Thoroughfare Committee for several years. He also represented District 14 on the Dallas Landmark Commission for four years, helping to preserve Dallas's historic neighborhoods.

Paula C. Blackmon
Paula C. Blackmon is a lifelong Texan and has been a resident of East Dallas for over 28 years. Paula grew up in a small west Texas town of Snyder and has spent her career in Texas public service. She is a loyal Red Raider and a graduate of Texas Tech University where she earned her bachelor's degree in International Economics.
Paula and her husband Barry, a Dallas architect, have three boys: Aaron is a Texas Tech graduate, coaches Saint Thomas Aquinas JV football and works for Lockheed Martin; Evan is a graduate of Woodrow Wilson and currently attends school and plays basketball in Ireland; and Reid recently graduated from Woodrow Wilson this past May and is a freshman at the University of Arkansas.
Paula is currently is completing her second term on the Dallas City Council, serving as Chair of the Environmental and Sustainable Committee. As the Chair, Paula has led the committee in accomplishing it's 2022 priorities. The committee has reviewed policies and procedures to prevent environmental threats, reform bulk-and-brush trash pickup program, implement the Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan (CECAP), and discussing restrictions on gas-powered leaf blowers, to name a few. She also sits on Housing & Homelessness Solutions; Quality of Life, Arts, & Culture; Workforce, Education, Equity and Ad Hoc Committee on General Investigating & Ethics & Ad Hoc Committee on Sports Recruitment and Retention.
Paula's experience in Dallas politics positions her well to represent the interest of her district. She served as Deputy Chief of Staff to former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and Chief of Staff to Mayor Mike Rawlings as well as senior advisor for Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Mike Miles. In her DISD role, Paula also oversaw Parent and Family engagement, Volunteer and Partnerships, and Community and Intergovernmental Relations. She also worked as a legislative aide to former State Representative Dale Tillery, and State Representative Harryette Ehrhardt.
Her contributions to Dallas are numerous, under Paula 's leadership as the Director of Public Affairs with The Real Estate Council, she secured the initial funding for the deck Park over Woodall Rodgers freeway, which eventually became Klyde Warren Park. Currently she has advocated for Federal and State dollars to dredge White Rock Lake.
Over the last 4 years, she has raised the senior tax exemption, reduced property taxes, led the charge to fix the City's residential permitting process, restored transparency to the Dallas City Council, executed the Dallas Urban Forest Master Plan, commissioned for the White Rock Lake Feasibility Dredge Study, supported the plan for a new Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center which will return millions of dollars on the investment as well as taking the lead and executed the Period Access Dallas (PAD) program.
Most recently Paula has been working on the Hensley Field cleanup that will eventually lead to a master plan development project and Fentanyl Strike Force.

Cara Mendelsohn
Council Member Cara Mendelsohn was elected to the Dallas City Council in May 2019 to represent District 12 in Far North Dallas. Cara is an accomplished nonprofit executive and volunteer leader with a passion for building stronger communities.
On the Dallas City Council, Council Member Mendelsohn serves as Chair of the Public Safety Committee, Chair of the Legislative Affairs Committee, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on General Investigating and Ethics, Vice Chair of the Housing and Homeless Solutions Committee, and is a member of the Government Performance and Financial Management Committee, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Ad Hoc Committee on Pensions, and Ad Hoc Committee on Administrative Affairs. She is also the Dallas Delegation Lead for the Regional Transportation Council, serves on the Executive Board of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and Chair of the Dallas Area Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness.
Professionally, before joining the City Council, Cara served as Executive Director of Rebuilding Together North Texas, a director of Visiting Nurse Association of Texas/Meals on Wheels of Dallas County, a director of The Samaritan Inn homeless shelter, and Chairman of the Collin County Homeless Coalition. Prior to having children, Cara had a career in human resource management in the banking and insurance industries.
Cara has served the City of Dallas as a volunteer on several task forces, commissions and committees, including the Vice Chair of the Citizen’s Homelessness Commission, the Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness, the 2017 Bond Committee, and Housing Policy Task Force committees.
Cara has an extensive record of volunteer service to the North Texas community that has been recognized with many civic awards, including "Volunteer of the Year" for Collin County from Volunteer Center of North Texas, two Life Member awards from PTA, the Service Learning Partnership Award from Collin College, the Homeless Advocate Award from the Baron and Blue Foundation, the Community Impact Award from Plano ISD, the Environmental Education Award from the City of Plano, the Shofar Award from Boy Scouts of America’s National Committee on Jewish Scouting, and the Board Leadership Award and a 15-year Board Service Award from Jewish Family Service of Dallas, of which she served as Board Chairman for 2 years.
Cara earned a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin. She has been married to her childhood sweetheart for 34 years and they have 3 hilarious sons.
Current Council appointments:
Public Safety Committee, Chair
Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Affairs, Chair
Ad Hoc Committee on General Investigating and Ethics, Chair
Housing and Homeless Solutions Committee, Vice Chair
Government Performance and Financial Management Committee
Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
Ad Hoc Committee on Pensions
Ad Hoc Committee on Administrative Affairs
Regional Transportation Council, Dallas Delegation Lead
North Central Texas Council of Governments, Executive Board Member
Dallas Area Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness, Chair