Irving colleagues and staff praise Mayor Rick Stouffer at farewell remarks

Mayor Rick Stouffer received a series of tributes from colleagues and staff at a farewell segment during an Irving city meeting, with speakers praising his leadership, accessibility and decades of service.

A staff member opened the remarks by saying, “I enjoy everything about working with Mayor Stouffer.” Multiple colleagues amplified that theme, calling him “genuine,” “authentic” and “a man of great honor and compassion.” One speaker recalled, “With the mayor, you get Mel, and that’s, like, that's like a 2 for 1,” referencing Stouffer’s wife, Melanie, and the couple’s visible role in civic life.

Speakers highlighted Stouffer’s visible presence at community events — ribbon cuttings, civic celebrations and outreach to faith communities — and said his attendance helped knit Irving’s diverse neighborhoods together. “Anywhere where there's a city event, there's the mayor,” one colleague said; another added that Stouffer had no partiality toward religious groups and attended different houses of worship as part of outreach.

Several speakers credited Stouffer with prioritizing infrastructure and economic growth. Remarks cited his work with DART and described mobility and infrastructure as central to the city’s economic strategy. Colleagues also pointed to projects such as the Irving Convention Center and hotel, the Toyota Music Factory, recruitment of H‑E‑B and efforts to grow the corporate tax base as examples of initiatives where Stouffer provided leadership.

Speakers described a hands-on leadership style with frequent, personal engagement with staff. One speaker recalled the mayor checking in on staff and returning calls; another called him a mentor who had “always had [employees] first in his mind.” Several noted Stouffer’s long service to the city — “We're going on 33 years,” one speaker said — and framed his legacy in terms of community trust and long-term projects rather than short-term headlines.

The tribute included personal anecdotes illustrating Stouffer’s approachable side; a speaker who referenced seeing him “in Dominican Republic trying to do the salsa” and another describing him sliding down a water slide at a recreation-center opening. Comments closed with collective thanks for his service and well-wishes for retirement.

No formal motions or votes were recorded during the remarks. The meeting continued after the tribute period with additional agenda items.