Ken Shetter was elected mayor in June of 2004, during his second term on Burleson’s City Council.  His priorities for Burleson include responsible management of the city's explosive growth, maintaining the highest standards in public safety, improving the transportation infrastructure, developing a sound economic development plan, maintaining fiscal discipline and the continued revitalization of Old Town.

He is currently active with the Strengthening Families Initiative, which is based on improving economic success, health and wellness, a safe and vibrant community, and child and youth development in the city. Shetter was recently appointed to the National League of Cities Council on Youth, Education and Families, which is composed of elected officials and youth members and representatives from major national organizations and corporations concerned about children and families.

The mayor was instrumental in the development of the Burleson Opportunity Fund which he and others hope will provide universal access to higher education for Burleson students.  He currently serves as chairman of the board of directors for the Burleson Opportunity Fund.

Shetter is active in regional public policy planning and advocacy. He is a former member of the executive board of the North Central Texas Council of Governments and currently serves as chairman of the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition.

Mayor Shetter was born and raised in the Burleson, Texas, area, and is a 1990 graduate of Burleson High School. He earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Baylor University in 1994, followed by a master of arts degree in applied sociology from The American University in Washington, D.C., in 1995.  While attending The American University, Shetter was a Dean's Scholar and a sociology department fellow.  In May 1998, he graduated from Baylor Law School with a juris doctorate degree.  As a third-year law student, he was a member of Baylor’s prestigious Mock Trial Team and recipient of the 1998 Scott, Douglass, Luton & McConnico Evidence Award. Following graduation, the mayor practiced law for seven years, concentrating in the areas of civil litigation and real estate transactions.

In addition to being mayor of Burleson, Shetter currently serves as the executive director of Safe City Commission, Inc., a non-profit corporation which develops and supports effective crime prevention and crime reduction programs and provides a framework for collaboration among Tarrant County’s public safety and crime prevention network.

The mayor and his wife, Ashley, have three children, Lexi, Hogan and Olivia.  They are members of the First United Methodist Church of Burleson.

Stuart Gillaspie
Mayor Pro Tem
Councilmember, Place 1
councilplace1@burlesontx.com

Stuart Gillaspie has been an active part of the City of Burleson government for 15 years.

The Place 1 council member, who was elected mayor pro tem by his peers following the May 2007 elections, served on the City of Burleson’s Planning and Zoning Commission for almost seven years, from October 1992 to June 1999. His last year on P&Z, Gillaspie served as the chairman.

In 1992, the mayor pro tem considered Burleson’s impending growth and decided he wanted to be a part of it. Gillaspie was instrumental in establishing the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP).

“I wanted to make a positive difference,” he said. “Growth is good, if it is managed properly.”

Since his election to the city council, Gillaspie has been appointed as a member of Burleson’s 4B Community Service Development Committee and the 4A tax board.
Projects he feels strongly about include the completion of the business park and commercial complex fronting I-35W, which was ratified as an economic development project in September 2007; the construction of the City’s hike and bike trail system; and completion of the new parks and sports complexes.

The mayor pro tem envisions more growth for Burleson and he is looking forward to promoting Burleson as a City of Character. Gillaspie strongly supports the City of Character initiative and currently serves on the Character Council.

Gillaspie was appointed to the Small Cities Council of the National League of Cities. This council was created in 1976 to ensure that the interests of small communities are reflected in the NLC’s overall policies and programs, serving as NLC’s “voice for all small cities.” He was recently appointed to the NLC Policy Committee on Transportation to assist in railroad issues.

Gillaspie is a 1981 graduate of Burleson High School. He works as a transportation manager for Union Pacific Railroad. Gillaspie earned an associates degree in business management/ administration from Hill College and a bachelors degree in business administration from Dallas Baptist University.

Gillaspie and his wife, Tina, have three children, Shane, Whitney, and Christin.

Rick Green
Councilmember, Place 2
councilplace2@burlesontx.com

Rick Green is back. The former Place 6 Burleson City Council member switched seats when he was sworn in as the new Place 2 city council member on May 17. Green defeated incumbent Jim Wadlow, who served the City since 2006.

Green, 45, is a senior financial planner with Ameriprise Financial in Old Town. He served on the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission, 1999-2000, then city council for two terms, 2000-2004. While on council, Green served on the 4B sales tax board.

“I pursued another term to continue to give back to my community and be part of the explosive growth,” Green said. “We are blessed to have men and women who have sacrificed to make our nation and communities a better place to live. We should do the same and give back and be a positive influence for future generations.”

Green grew up in Cleburne, graduated from Cleburne High School in 1982, then from LeTourneau University in Longview with a degree in business management. He has lived in Burleson for the past 18 years. His wife, Shelley, has been a realtor for 10 years and works locally. They share a 20-year-old daughter, Lesley, who is in her second year at Abilene Christian University, and 13-year-old daughter, Sarah, who is a seventh grader at Southwest Christian School in Fort Worth. Green is a member of the Burleson Masonic Lodge and First Baptist Church of Burleson.

“I want to attract major industry to the City's business park and provide jobs and reduce taxes in our community. I also want to continue to work with the Imagine Burleson 2030 group and the Texas Department of Transportation to improve the quality and safety of the Hwy. 174 corridor,” Green said.

Matt Aiken
Councilmember, Place 4
councilplace4@burlesontx.com

Matt Aiken has traded in his Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) seat for Place 4 on the Burleson City Council. Aiken, who replaces Carter Mahanay, was sworn into office on May 17. Mahanay served on the council since 2008.

Aiken, 29, graduated from Burleson High School and accepted a full scholarship for debate at the University of Kentucky. He graduated with honors and a degree in political science. Aiken earned a law degree at Texas Tech University School of Law, then moved back to Burleson where he and childhood friend Matt Ribitzki opened a law firm and title company. In 2006, the law firm sold its title operations, so Aiken put his full-time focus on real estate. He now works as a fund manager for a private equity firm.

Aiken has been a P&Z member for two years and has served as vice chairman. He is also involved in the Burleson Area Chamber of Commerce and the Presbyterian Night Shelter of Fort Worth.

“I have a deep interest and passion for government,” Aiken said. “More and more, people want to move to Burleson because they can see the great things our city has to offer. Now is a crucial time to plan for the next wave of growth. Otherwise, our city could lose its history and character in the process."

The new council member said he wants to actively participate in reviewing and redrafting City policies to influence the quality of inevitable development, and, to participate in discussions involving vital transportation options.

“The city is projected to double in population within the next 20 years,” Aiken said. “I hope to encourage more citizens of Burleson to take an active role in determining what their city will become.”

Dan McClendon is a husband, father of four, business owner, and a pilot for Angel Flight, which provides free travel in private aircraft for people with medical and financial needs.

McClendon, 56, was sworn in as the Place 5 councilmember in May 2007.

In 1990, he became the sole owner and founder of McClendon Construction Company, based in Burleson. His company performs municipal street reconstruction. He is also vice president of the Tarrant County Contractors' Association.

He and his wife Mary Lynn, 43, have been married since Valentine's Day 1994. They share four children. Angela, 29; Jack, 13; Cole, 12; and Austin, 9.

The councilman was born in Corsicana and raised in Powell and Navarro County. He graduated from Kerens High School in 1970 and from North Texas State University in 1974 with a bachelor of business administration degree.

He and his family moved to the Burleson area in 1977.

McClendon is a current member of Saint Matthew Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and sings with the chancel choir.   He also sings with Soulful Sound, a popular local gospel group based at First United Methodist Church.

McClendon has been a member pilot and contributor of Angel Flight since 2001. He averages eight missions each year.

“In all the towns and cities I have visited, I have never found quite the same mixture of tradition, progressive thinking, integrity, common sense, and good family values that we have here,” McClendon said. “I hope that my children will find this to be as true as I have so that our future generations will treasure our city too. To keep Burleson this way as it grows and develops is my main goal as a councilmember.”

Chip Stephens
Councilmember, Place 6
councilplace6@burlesontx.com

Chip Stephens is a life-long resident of the Burleson area. He graduated from Burleson High School in 1991, then attended Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Arlington.  

Mr. Stephens and his wife, Erika, have two children, Enfiniti and Kyler, who are very involved in school and youth sports activities. In 1995, Mr. Stephens became Officer Stephens with the Fort Worth Police Department. In 2003, he also realized a long-time goal when he obtained his real estate license. Mr. Stephens enjoys helping families find the homes of their dreams as well as helping them in his work as a police officer.

Mr. Stephens was elected to the Burleson City Council in May 2004. He hopes to continue to be a leader in the community by doing all he can to help ensure that Burleson remains the wonderful town in which he grew up.