Born and raised in South Dakota in a family of six, Rick learned early on the value of family, hard work and integrity. He started working at a young age, alongside his father in his auto body shop, learning tools of the trade and the importance of customer service.

Rick went on to work at a local car dealership, washing cars and sweeping the floors to earn his stripes. He spent 20 years working for the same organization; he and his mentor expanded the business from a Chevrolet/Olds dealership to include all General Motors, all Ford, and all Chrysler franchises. Back then, as it is today, “Made in America” was very important, and having dealerships that represented the “Big 3” was very impressive.

Rick met his wife, Melanie, in South Dakota, where they both still have family. She was a tenured professor before accepting a position with IBM in 1988, at which time, Rick joined her and they purchased their first home.

Shortly after moving to Irving, Rick began his long tenure as a public servant. While Melanie continued her highly successful career, Rick invested his time in giving back to the community. He started with the Valley Ranch Association, where he served for 20+ years, including as president of the board. That fueled Rick’s interest in zoning and landowner issues, so at the urging of a city councilmember, he proudly served on the Planning & Zoning Commission for six years.

In the late 1990s, Rick ran for City Council in an at-large position, believing that it would allow him to focus on the needs and concerns of all Irving residents and businesses – not just those in his council district. He served for 14 years on the City Council, including as Mayor Pro Tem and Deputy Pro Tem. Rick quickly became an expert in infrastructure – from transportation and water, to public safety and parks.

He has served with distinction on numerous regional and national boards, including the Regional Transportation Council (6 years), Transportation Excellence for the 21st Century/TEX-21 (10 years), Irving Flood Control District (5 years), Regional Mobility Coalition (8 years), and Dallas Area Rapid Transit/DART (7 years); he also served two terms on the prestigious DFW International Airport board. He has served as president of the Metroplex Mayors council, currently serves on the board of the North Texas Commission and is an officer for the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG).

Rick’s extensive city council, committee and board experience uniquely qualify him to serve as Irving’s Mayor. He understands the ins and outs of the city budgeting process, debt structure and bond funding, and has an unmatched grasp of all city functions and departments. He has strong working relationships with colleagues and peers not only across the North Texas region, but also at the state level and federal level, where he has advocated on numerous occasions to secure funding for major infrastructure projects in Irving. Rick is highly respected as a problem-solver and leader.

He is also a collaborator at heart, and believes firmly in working together to identify issues and challenges and find effective and fiscally responsible solutions. Rick is also committed to capitalizing on opportunities that will strengthen Irving’s economy in the form of new jobs, capital investment and tax revenues, which, in turn, can help improve the quality of life for residents. You will find him all over Irving, talking with small business owners, CEOs of major corporations, neighborhood groups, or one-on-one with residents. He is gifted at listening and truly understanding the concerns of others – whether relating to the safety of our neighborhoods, code enforcement issues, tax rates, or the state of our streets.

In a city this complex and diverse, experience does matter. Rick Stopfer is ready to continue to serve you, the residents and businesses of Irving.