The mayors of Tarrant County’s two largest cities have new roles after their election to the executive board of the Arlington-based North Central Texas Council of Governments.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and Arlington Mayor Jim Ross were among the 17 officials elected to one-year terms on the 2026-27 executive board during the NCTCOG 60th general assembly Friday at the Hurst Conference Center.
In a 98-39 vote, members also chose two Tarrant leaders as directors — Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans and Hurst City Council member Jon McKenzie. Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare was reelected as a director, bringing a total of five Tarrant leaders to the board.
NCTCOG members from Tarrant and Rockwall counties were not allowed to vote because those entities did not agree on their representatives, outgoing executive board president Victoria Johnson said.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins made a motion to accept a slate of candidates without nominations from the floor. “Otherwise, we will literally be here all day,” he said.
Members debated whether new nominations should be accepted, but Jenkins’ original motion was voted upon, Johnson said.
After the vote, there was scattered applause.
“In previous years, that was much more celebratory,” said Johnson, a Burleson City Council member.
Richardson City Council member Jennifer Justice was elected president, Erath County Judge Brandon J. Huckabee was elected vice president and Lewisville Mayor TJ Gilmore will serve as secretary-treasurer.
Others elected to the board include Johnson as past president, Jenkins, Johnson County Judge Christopher Boedeker, Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno, Denton County Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell, Frisco City Council member Burt Thakur, Haslet Mayor Gary Hulsey, Midlothian City Council member Ross Weaver and State Rep. Mitch Little, R-Carrollton, as ex officio member.
Justice said she would continue building regional cooperation.
“The incredible growth in North Central Texas comes with both extraordinary opportunity and real responsibility,” she said in a statement. “This new board is ready and equipped to make decisions that will help shape the quality of life our residents experience for decades to come.”
The new board members arrive amid a lingering dispute between NCTCOG executive board and the Regional Transportation Council. Some RTC members have accused executive board members of overreach in their responsibilities since they do not make policy decisions about transportation projects.
Members also voted against approving new bylaws as a block but they were not voted on individually.
The organization also handed out awards to public officials.
Richardson City Secretary Aimee Nemer won the Linda Keithley Award for Women in Public Management.
Marty Wieder, executive director of the Arlington Economic Development Corp., won the William J. Pitstick Regional Excellence Award. The award, established in 1993, is named for a former NCTCOG executive director who strengthened cooperation among local governments.
Several cities — Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Richardson, Fairview, Little Elm, Lucas, Melissa, Prosper, Rowlett and Sachse — shared the Mike Eastland Regional Cooperation Award. That award, established in 1996, was renamed in 2025 to honor Eastland’s 32 years of service with NCTCOG.
Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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