Richard Lewis has more than 30 years of professional experience in both the public and private sector. His strengths as a financial manager, strategic planner and organizational change agent have brought significant improvements to the governmental entities that he has served. Lewis has held numerous positions with the County of Dallas and the City of Dallas including Assistant City Manager. Lewis has served the City of Houston in many capacities providing executive oversight on behalf of the Mayor beginning in 1991 as the Director, Finance and Administration; Acting Director, Building Services; and Deputy Chief Administrative Officer.

In June 2002, after a brief stint in the private sector, Lewis was asked to return to the City of Houston and serve as the Director and CIO for the newly created Department of Information Technology. Lewis has citywide responsibility for overseeing the City’s highly decentralized information technology environment with expenditures of $100 million annually and chairing the Technology Steering Committee. Lewis’ accomplishments include implementing collaborative IT management citywide, reducing technical support cost for the 3-1-1 call center and excess telephone circuits citywide, centralizing network management and stabilizing new $12 million public safety computer aided dispatch and record management applications at the Houston Emergency Center. His current IT projects include: completing a three phase citywide network upgrade and redesign costing $15 million; standing up a new $10 million integrated case management system for the Municipal Court (where he was also Acting Chief Clerk for 22 months); implementing SAP for financials/purchasing in July 2007 and HR/Payroll in March 2007 at a cost of $28 million; implementing enhancements in the Houston Police Department IT organization and environment of approximately $15 million over the next three years; replacing the City’s 450 MHz public safety radio system; and finalizing negotiations for the private financing and management of a $60 million WiFi network.

Lewis is active in the community by serving on numerous boards and in his church and supporting various charitable causes.