Graham Richard
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Graham Richard | |
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34th Mayor of Fort Wayne | |
In office January 1, 2000 – January 1, 2008 | |
Preceded by | Paul Helmke |
Succeeded by | Tom Henry |
Member of the Indiana Senate from the 15th district | |
In office November 6, 1974 – November 8, 1978 | |
Preceded by | Thomas Victor McComb[1] |
Succeeded by | Elmer MacDonald |
Personal details | |
Born | 1 January 1947 (age 77) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Mary E. Richard |
Residence | Fort Wayne, Indiana |
Alma mater | Princeton University (BA) |
Religion | Anglican |
Graham Richard is an American politician and entrepreneur and former mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, serving from 2000–2008.
Post-mayoral work
Since leaving mayoral office, Graham A. Richard has become a strong advocate for improving local and state government. He helped launch the High Performance Government Network (HPGN) Home[2] and is focusing much of his energy on helping communities become "wired and inspired."
He has received national awards for his technology leadership, including the Fiber-to-the-Home Council's 2005 Star Award for being a leader in broadband technology. He was recognized as one of the top 25 doers, dreamers, and drivers by
Graham has become a speaker at national conferences. In December 2005, the Brookings Institution hosted Mayor Richard for a presentation on "Fort Wayne: Wired and Inspired to Compete in the Flat World." Mayor Richard also addressed the Winter 2006 U.S. Conference of Mayors. Other keynote addresses in 2008 include: the Broadband Properties Summit, the DOD Lean Six Sigma Breakthrough Conference, the Mayors’ Technology Summit, and the Defense Business Agility Forum.
In March 2012, Graham was selected to be the Chief Executive Officer of
Early life and education
Graham Arthur Richard was born in
Life in politics
After losing several elections for state representative in the early 1970s, Richard was elected to the
In 1976, Richard ran for Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, but lost to the incumbent, Harold H. Negley by 2.52%.[5]
Afterwards, he continued to be involved in both state and local affairs through his membership on several governmental advisory boards and community service agencies. Richard campaigned in 1999 on a platform of increasing the efficiency and responsiveness of local government.
He was narrowly elected
Richard is a great proponent of Six Sigma management techniques, and in 2000, the City of Fort Wayne became the first city government to officially adopt the system.
Richard helped lead Fort Wayne to national recognition for high-performance city services. Results included the lowest crime rate in over 25 years, saving taxpayers more than $31 million using business practices including Lean Six Sigma, and record-breaking investments in downtown development, neighborhoods, and infrastructure while keeping property tax rates at one of the lowest levels since the 1960s. Potholes are filled in less than 4 hours instead of 4 days, and permitting time has been slashed from 48 days to less than 10.
In 2007, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce honored Richard by naming him "Government Leader of the Year."[7] During Mayor Richard's tenure, the City of Fort Wayne won national awards for the #1 Fleet Operation in the nation[8] and the best Public Works and City Utilities Department in the country.
He did not seek re-election in the 2007 city election. He was succeeded by fellow Democrat Tom Henry.
Business
Over the course of his business career, he operated several small businesses, including the consulting firm Graham Richard Associates LLC and the venture capital firm Ruffolo Richard LLC.
Among other activities, he helped start a cable television company, a public television station, and a small-scale hydropower company. He was also a co-founder of the Fort Wayne Enterprise Center, a business incubator.
He served as the CEO of
Related links
References
- ^ "Indiana Senate (District 15) « Capitol & Washington". 3 March 2015.
- ^ High Performance Government Network hpgnetwork.com
- ^ http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2017/03/u-alum-organization-focuses-on-new-energy-sources "Graham Richard ’69 champions advanced, sustainable energy through business and technology," Nouran Ibrahim, Daily Princetonian, Mar 3, 2017.
- ^ "Graham Arthur Richard". legdb.iga.in.gov. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ "Information on Graham Arthur Richard « Capitol & Washington". 6 March 2015.
- ^ Election summary allen.in.us [dead link]
- ^ "The Scoop: Richard is Indiana Chamber's Leader of the Year".
- ^ "City and County to host Colts-Bears "Blue Friday" Rally - City of Fort Wayne".
External links
- Official City of Fort Wayne biography
- Home HPGN site
- Grahamrichard.com Graham Richard webpage