Articles

Keynote Speaker - July 2020

Jeff Williams, P.E. - Mayor of City of Arlington

Topic:  Engineering and Development behind Globe Life Field and all of the Entertainment District in

Jeff Williams, P.E. is President and CEO of the civil engineering design and planning firm, Graham Associates, Inc. and has also served as Mayor of Arlington since 2015.  

In his engineering capacity, Mr. Williams managed the planning and layout of all of the roadways and infrastructure in the entertainment district of Arlington that included both the Ballpark in Arlington and Cowboy’s Stadium. In addition, he also planned all of the roadway connections and interchanges involved in the widening of Interstate 30, the Three Bridges Project, from Ballpark Way to Cooper Street in Arlington.

Under Mr. Williams direction, Graham Associates was also the planner for Nebraska Furniture Mart and related development for the City of The Colony. This included approximately $100 million of infrastructure: roadways, water and sewer. Graham Associates also designed the first Divergent Diamond Interchange in Texas to accommodate the massive amount of traffic that Nebraska Furniture Mart generates.  

Mr. Williams has had the privilege of working in cities and counties all over the metroplex and truly enjoys building communities through the work of engineering. He is a gifted speaker and communicator with an ability to anticipate challenges while casting a vision. Mr. Williams is also known as one of the leading economic development professionals in the State of Texas. One of the unique things about him is that he also knows how to accommodate for mixed use, retail, housing and sports complexes. Mr. Williams brings a unique skillset in not only his technical engineering skills but his incredible gift of working with all people to find solutions and bring a project to completion. These skills have been recognized by Texas Tech University as a Distinguished College of Engineering Alum, and through the success of his firm from the State of Texas with the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award, Project of the Year, and the Comprehensive Planning Award.

As Mayor, Jeff has brought synergy among citizens and ignited a passion for what Arlington is and could be in the future. His contagious enthusiasm for thinking big and capitalizing on what makes our city unique has been a recipe for more jobs in the city, businesses knocking on the door, and growth like we have always dreamed of and am finally seeing as a reality. With projects like Texas Live!, Champions Park, the new Globe Life Field, General Motors Expansion, relocation of D.R. Horton, Summit Racing, relocation of Six Flags Headquarters, National Medal of Honor Museum, downtown revitalization efforts, it is no surprise that Arlington has been voted as the best-run city in Texas. Mayor Williams’ character and commitment to Arlington has been recognized by the YMCA Bill and Shari Bowie Community Leadership Award and the Boy Scouts of America Leadership and Service Award and more. He has also been a champion for many initiatives in the city including the importance of the diversity and the utilization of minority and women owned businesses in our community, the overall culture of kindness that has been infectious with the Kindness Initiative, and keeping our focus on what is truly important with the inaugural Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. The list of accomplishments during these five years is numerous, and Mayor’s unwavering commitment and dedication to the city will not just impact current citizens but will have resounding ripples for generations to come.