Meet Paul Ridley

Paul took his first job after college as a staff planner for the City Plan Commission of Kansas City, Mo. He later worked at an architecture firm to complete the requirements to become a licensed architect. After a few years, he decided to get a law degree and moved to Texas to attend the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. Following admission to the bar, Paul practiced construction law and commercial litigation in Dallas for more than 30 years, during which time he founded three different law firms. He lives with his wife Joan in a century-old home in an Old East Dallas historic district, where he has lived for over 30 years.

Paul has been committed to public service in Dallas for more than 15 years. Prior to election to the City Council in 2021, he served on the Dallas Plan Commission for eight years, chairing the Thoroughfare Committee. Prior to that, he represented District 14 on the Dallas Landmark Commission for four years, helping to preserve Dallas’s historic neighborhoods. Through that public service, he became familiar with the values and aspirations of District 14 residents.

Always interested in the future of Dallas, he pursued his interest in city planning by serving on the board of the Greater Dallas Planning Council for 14 years. He served as its president for two years, 2018 – 2019. The GDPC is a nonprofit, non-partisan Dallas civic organization founded in 1946, whose mission is to shape, promote and advocate a creative, sustainable future for the Dallas region.

Paul has also been active in his neighborhood association, serving for 3 years as a board member and treasurer of the Munger Place Historic District Association. In 2019, the Oak Lawn Committee presented him with an award “in recognition of outstanding volunteer service and dedication to the Oak Lawn Committee and the neighborhood for the past eight years.” He is also an active member of Rotary, having served as a club president and an assistant governor for the North Texas District of 70 clubs. Paul has performed pro bono work as an attorney, receiving the Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year award from the Dallas Housing Crisis Center and has worked on several Habitat for Humanity home builds. During his first term on the Dallas City Council, Paul was honored with the Dallas Observer’s “Best Council member of 2022” award.