Benbrook City Council Dr. Jerry Dittrich - Mayor  Dr. Jerry Dittrich has served on Benbrook City Council since 1992 and was elected Mayor in 2005. Before becoming Mayor, he served as Mayor Pro Tem since 1998. He has lived in Benbrook for over 25 years and has three adult children: Jamie, Jenny, and James.
Mayor Dittrich holds Bachelor of Science degrees from Texas Tech and Texas A&M; earned a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Texas A&M; and currently works as a veterinarian.
Actively involved in the community, the Mayor is a member of Trinity Hills Baptist Church, a member and past president of Benbrook Lions Club and Benbrook Area Chamber of Commerce. He previously served as a Board Member of Metropolitan YMCA, Chairman of the Metropolitan YMCA Properties Committee, President of Benbrook Water & Sewer Authority, and as a BWSA Board Member for 12 years. Mayor Dittrich says, “The City of Benbrook and community have been good to me and my family. I count it a responsibility, privilege, and honor to serve and return to the community either as a volunteer or elected official, my time and service. My goal is to serve and help the community be all that it can be and provide for its citizens the quality of life they expect and deserve.” James Schull - City Council, Place 2  Councilmember Schull is married to his wife of eight years Jennifer, and has two precious children, son Jayden, age 4 years, and daughter Morgan, age 5 months. Schull is an Attorney and Counselor at Law and maintains a small firm in the City of Benbrook. Schull received his Juris Doctor from the Texas Wesleyan School of Law located in Downtown Fort Worth in 2000, and his BBA in Finance from Baylor University in 1995.
In addition to being newly elected to City Council Place 2, Schull has been involved with various community activities including but limited to:Board of Directors: BEDC; Board of Directors: YMCA (Benbrook);Lions Club; MDA Lockup Volunteer & sponsor; YMCA Tee-Ball Coach; Westridge Church and has been the recipient of various awards and honors including admission to the Texas State Bar; Who's Who Nominee for Business Professionals (1998); Outstanding Team Leader Award (Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co.); Coach of the Year (YMCA). Schull says he is deeply humbled and honored by the trust and confidence the fine citizens of Benbrook have placed in him."I will endeavor to serve all citizens with honor, integrity and respect, and will relentlessly strive to bring about change that is beneficial for this great city." Keith Bailey - City Council, Place 3  Keith Bailey was elected to Place 3 of Benbrook City Council in 2003 and reelected in 2005. Bailey has lived in Benbrook for over 25 years. He and his wife June have been married for over 48 years and have two children: Louise Costello of Columbus, Ohio; and Karl Bailey of Mesquite, Texas. Keith and June have three grandchildren: Scott, Jennifer, and Ryan; and two great-grandchildren: Morgan and Reagan.
Councilmember Bailey retired from the United States Air Force as a Master Sergeant, with 20 years of service. He also retired from Lockheed Martin with 22 years of service. He has an Associate of Science in Aircraft Technology from New England Aeronautical Institute and an Aircraft and Power Plant Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. Active in the community, Councilmember Bailey served on the Zoning Board of Adjustment for three years and as a member of Citizens on Patrol for eight years. He is a member of Benbrook Community Center/YMCA and 4PAWS (Pets are Worth Saving). He is also a member of the Ridglea Masonic Lodge, Moslah Shrine Center, Elks Club, American Legion, and the VFW. He previously served as a Castleberry High School Band Booster President and was a member of the Non-Commissioned Officers Association and Disabled American Veterans. Bailey is pleased to have the opportunity to serve on the City Council and looks forward to working with the other members of the Council to help make our community a better place to live and work. Rickie Allison - City Council, Place 4  Rickie Allison was elected to Place 4 of Benbrook City Council in May 2000 and was reelected in 2002 and 2004. Councilmember Allison has lived in Benbrook for over 17 years. He and his wife Kathy, a school teacher with the White Settlement ISD, have been married for over 30 years and have two sons: Ben is a fourth generation firefighter with the City of Fort Worth Fire Department. Daniel is a senior at Midwestern State University with a major in Voice and a minor in Education.
Rickie works as a Driver/Firefighter/Hazmat/Swat Paramedic with the Fort Worth Fire Department for over 22 years. Rickie was the Assistant EMS Program Manager for the Fort Worth Fire Department for several years. He retired as a Lieutenant Firefighter/Paramedic for the Benbrook Fire Support Unit for 20 years and as a Patrol Officer and SWAT team member for the Benbrook Police Department for eight years. At the present time he serves as a member on the BEDC (Benbrook Economic Development Corp) Board and represents several cities on the Regional Emergency Preparedness Planning Council with the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
Highly involved in his church, Rickie serves as a deacon, as a member of the Video Committee and Property Committee. He is a member and past president of the Benbrook Lions Club. He is a Boy Scouts Assistant Scout Master of Troop 95. Over the years, Rickie has served as Boy Scouts Cub Master and as a member of Benbrook and Fort Worth Firefighter Associations, Baseball Umpire Association, Western Hills High School Athletics and Band Booster Clubs, Save Our Seniors Program, Fall Festival and Parade Committee. He helped coordinate the Firefighter’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Food Drives, Easter Egg Hunts, and assisted in the construction of Castle Park Playground. Rickie encourages Benbrook citizens to get involved in the community and to actively communicate with the City Council. “People are what make a City and allow it to grow” He believes in safe economic growth for the city, family values, honesty, and the ability to agree to disagree. Dan Tully-- City Council, Place 5 
Dan Tully was sworn in and began serving as Place 5 Councilmember on Benbrook City Council on May 17, 2007. Dan and his wife, Madonna, have lived in Benbrook since November 1988. They met at Oklahoma State University and married in 1976. Madonna is a retired classroom art teacher and currently treasurer of the Westpark Elementary PTA. Dan and Madonna have a married son Jonathan and his wife Ashley, a granddaughter, Madison, and a new grandson, Michael. Dan has served on the Benbrook Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Board since 2004. Dan was selected by the City Council to serve as the Chairman of the Benbrook Tax Increment Finance Board. Mr. Tully has spent the past 30 years working in Project Management Controls on major capital projects and is currently on his eigth billion dollar program. He is currently employed by the Jacobs Engineering Group as the Project Controls Manager for the 4.7 Billion dollar Fort Bliss Expansion Program for the US Army in El Paso Texas. This program is to provide for a new home for 30,000 troops that are being relocated as directed by the Base Area Realignment Commission in 2005. Mr. Tully describes his vision for Benbrook to include assisting impacted citizens and businesses in future Benbrook Boulevard improvements and economic development projects, encouraging planned development within the City’s parklands, resolving education needs for children in middle and upper grades, and continuing the City’s sound financial path. Mark Washburn– City Council, Place 6 .jpg)
Mark Washburn was sworn in and began serving as Place 6 Councilmember on Benbrook City Council on Thursday, May 15, 2008.
Married since 1996, Mark and his wife have two children and have lived in Benbrook since 1998. Mark describes Benbrook as a comfortable, quality location to raise a family. Benbrook amenities such as parks, recreational opportunities, businesses, and schools provide for enhanced quality of life.
Mr. Washburn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications degree from the University of New Orleans. In 1991, he earned a Master in Arts in Religious Education degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. Additional studies include Clinical Pastoral Education from the School of Pastoral Care at North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, where he served as hospital chaplain. Mr. Washburn is considering pursuing an Anglican Studies degree and currently serves as the Director of Christian Education at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Fort Worth. His professional background includes over 25 years in media technology. Mark served on the Benbrook Park and Recreation Board from 2005-2007 and the Benbrook Citizens on Patrol in 2007-2008. He also served on the Benbrook Water Board’s Capital Improvement Advisory Committee and has served on the Benbrook Zoning Board of Adjustment since 2007.
Mr. Washburn desires to represent the citizens of Benbrook and believes the timing to serve on Council is right. He strives to utilize his servant-leadership gifts in a creative and innovation manner. Mr. Washburn wants “to assist working families and citizens with challenges they face, find common ground for citizens and city government, incorporate policies from the City Charter and create new policies that are best for the majority of our neighborhoods and the community we call Benbrook.” Priorities include assuring City services such as police and fire departments are equipped to best serve the public, assuring the City continues to be financially sound, working to improve the school system, and seeking the best solutions and affordable resources for future projects and challenges.
Mr. Washburn describes his vision for Benbrook to include enhancing quality of life through balancing the interests of residents and business, and improving “the look” of the city with exciting development projects such as the Benbrook Boulevard Master Plan, Town Center Project, and Lake Benbrook and Marina projects.
When asked what he likes best about Benbrook, Mark Washburn answers, “the people.”
Ron Sauma - City Council, Place 7  Ron Sauma was elected to Place 7 of Benbrook City Council in 2001 and was reelected in 2003, 2005 and 2007. He has lived in Benbrook for 29 years with his wife of 46 years, Marie. They have two children: Donna and George; and two grandchildren: Madelyn and Anthony.
Councilmember Sauma retired from Fort Worth’s Miller Brewing Company in 1996. While at Miller, he served on the Cultural Diversity Steering Committee and numerous other committees. He previously attended Brooklyn College and served four years on a Destroyer in the US Navy.
Actively involved in the community, Sauma is a member of Saint Peters and Our Lady of Lebanon Catholic Churches. He serves as a Block Captain for the Crime Watch Program, volunteers at Harris Methodist Hospital of Fort Worth, in both the fitness and cardiac rehab areas, and serves as the Legislative Chairman of the Harris Methodist Fort Worth Auxiliary Hospital Board. Ron also volunteers at the Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic in Fort Worth. Mr. Sauma is an active member of North Benbrook Neighborhood Association, Benbrook Area Chamber of Commerce, Benbrook Lions Club, American Legion Post 297, and 4 PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving). For 21 years, he served as Board President, and currently serves as Board Secretary, on seperate Boards of the Council of Condominiums Co-Owners. He previously served as Assistant Director of Benbrook Citizens on Patrol. Councilmember Sauma attends Economic Development Corporation (EDC) meetings and stays current with the progress the EDC is making to bring additional revenue to our City. He also attends other City Board and Commission meetings and monitors issues from surrounding areas that could impact Benbrook. Since beginning his term on City Council, Sauma has served as the City’s voting representative to the North Central Texas Council of Governments. To increase his knowledge of governmental affairs and legislative actions, he attends all North Central Texas Council of Governments conferences, as well as Texas Municipal League and other conferences. He attends several local workshops including the Senior Officials Workshop for Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Preparation. Since summer 2006, Councilmember Sauma has served as the City's voting representative assigned to the Joint Land Use Committee, with the primary mission of saving the Naval Reserve Base (formerly Carswell Air Force Base) from closing. He will also serve as our City's voting representative on the new NAS-JRB Regional Coordination Committee, comprised of Federal, State, and local officials. Mr. Sauma states that keeping the JRB open is one of his top priorities.
Sauma says, “I contine to be both honored and proud to serve the citizens of our city since 2001, and I look forward to continue to serve as your representative on Council. It is a privilege to be honored with your vote of confidence and to continue to be YOUR voice as YOUR represenative. I want to continue to provide the citizens a voice in City decisions and continue to be available to all citizens. I am also honored to be called upon by various parents and teachers to participate in local school activities. Passage of bond monies to repair and upgrade streets, parks, and correct flooding will remain a priority. Ensuring the Police, Fire, EMT, and other City personnel are provided with adequate equipment to provide services to the citizens in a timely manner will remain a priority. I am especially proud to be one of the four Councilmembers who voted to pass the Senior and Disabled Tax Freeze. I will continue to vote for the reduction of the ad valorem tax rate for everyone, which I still consider to be too high, and I will continue to ensure tax revenue is spent on needed community services rather than nonessentials.” |