Global Perspectives with Mike Rawlings

About Mike Rawlings

Rawlings was the 61st mayor of Dallas and the longest-serving mayor in more than 57 years. Elected for his second and final four-year term in 2015, he served as mayor until June 2019.

While in office, he focused on spurring economic development in the southern portion of Dallas through his GrowSouth initiative, improving public education, combating poverty and domestic violence, developing parks, elevating the city's international profile, and attracting artists, young professionals, families and corporations to Dallas. From fiscal 2011 to 2018, the southern Dallas tax base grew by 60 percent.

In 2016, Rawlings was selected as a Vital Voices Global Partnership honoree for his work to eradicate domestic violence. He was the 2017 recipient of the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Award for Leadership in Urban Design. And, in 2018, he received the National Award for Local Arts Leadership from Americans for the Arts and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

In the years before his 2011 election as mayor, he served as the chair of the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau (VisitDallas), the city's “homeless czar” and president of the Dallas Park Board.

Early in his career, Rawlings worked his way up from an entry-level position at TracyLocke to become CEO. Later, he took the helm of Pizza Hut and grew it to record sales. He previously served as chairman and managing partner of private equity firm CIC Partners, where he is currently the vice chairman.