Biography

City Representative Henry Rivera was elected to the office of District 7 in May 6, 2017 and is currently serving his first term in office. He was born into a family of nine in South El Paso. His beginnings were humble – his mother worked in a factory before becoming a full time home maker and his father was supervisor at a local factory. Henry attended schools in El Paso’s Clardy-Fox area and graduated from Jefferson High in 1976. In the same year, Henry married his high school sweetheart. They were married for 39 years until she lost her battle to breast cancer.

In 1982, at the age of 24, Henry joined the El Paso Police Department (EPPD) and honorably served for nearly 35 years. Henry is no stranger to taking and upholding an oath of office and serving his community. City Representative Rivera was the first active police officer to win a city council election in El Paso, Texas and upon his election in May 2017 he retired from the EPPD.

During his 35 years of public service in the EPPD, he received numerous certifications and accolades. He obtained a Peace Officers License, with a specialized emphasis on mental health, domestic violence, gang intervention and physical and cyber bullying. He took on roles of supervisor and undercover operations. In 2005, Henry became a School Resource Officer, where he has built trust and relationships with many students and parents. These relationships serve to prevent criminal activity and assist those that found themselves victims of violence, bullying or gang activity. In 2009, Henry was elected 1st Vice-President and Chairman of the El Paso Municipal Police Officers Association (EPMPOA) Political Action Committee and served until 2016. During his involvement with EPMPOA he helped support the Special Olympics and Sexual Trauma & Assault Response Services (STARS).

Aside from his commitment to serve the public, Henry is married to his second wife and together they share four children and four grandchildren. They are members of St. Raphael Church and proud residents of District 7.

Boards & Committees

City of El Paso Financial Oversight & Audit Committee (FOAC)
FOAC was established to provide legislative oversight of the function of the Internal Auditor, to review financial policies of the City, and formulate recommendations for the City Council and City Manager.

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El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) - Transportation Policy Board (TPB)
The TPB was established in 1973 to meet the requirement that urbanized areas with a population of 50,000 or greater must have a transportation planning board to ensure that all regional transportation studies are performed in accordance with local governments’ desires and in conformance with federal and state laws, rules, and regulations.

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Justice Leadership Council of the El Paso Behavioral Health Consortium
The Justice Leadership Council works with Justice System leaders and stakeholders as they transform the current system to support person-centered, recovery oriented care and treat as many people as possible in health care settings instead of within the criminal justice system.

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Rio Grande Council of Governments (RGCOG) - Board of Directors
The Rio Grande Council of Governments is a voluntary association of local governments formed under Texas law. This organization was initiated to further intergovernmental cooperation and coordination in the planning, development and delivery of governmental services within El Paso County, Texas. The RGCOG Board of Directors consists of myself, Representative Annello, Representative Svarzbein and other local elected officials.

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