Graham Richard

Graham Richard
Graham Richard (D-IN) in 2007.
34th Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana
In office January 1, 2000 – January 1, 2008
Preceded by	Paul Helmke
Succeeded by	Tom Henry
Personal details
Born	September 8, 1944 (age 70) Fort Wayne, Indiana
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Mary E.
Residence	Fort Wayne, Indiana

Graham Richard is an American politician and entrepreneur, and the 34th and former mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, serving from 2000–2008. He was succeeded by Democrat Tom Henry.

Since leaving mayoral office, Graham Richard has become a strong advocate for improving local and state government. He helped launch the High Performance Government Network (HPGN) [2] and is focusing much of his energy on helping communities become "wired and inspired."

He has received national awards for his technology leadership, including the Fiber-to-the-Home Council's 2005 Star Award for being a leader in broadband technology. He was recognized as one of the top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers by Government Technology Magazine for his significant contributions to the digital government movement. In addition, the Public Technology Institute awarded Mayor Richard with the 2006 Tech Leader Award. In September 2006, KillerApp magazine recognized then-Mayor Richard with the KillerApp Trailblazer Award for being a leader in broadband services. Graham was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from Indiana University in 2010.

Graham has become a speaker at national conferences. In December 2005, the Brookings Institution hosted Mayor Richard for a presentation on "Fort Wayne: Wired and Inspired to Compete in the Flat World." Mayor Richard also addressed the Winter 2006 U.S. Conference of Mayors. Other Keynote addresses in 2008 include: The Broadband Properties Summit, DOD Lean Six Sigma Breakthrough Conference, Mayors’ Technology Summit, and Defense Business Agility Forum.

In March 2012, Graham was selected to be the Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Energy Economy (AEE). AEE is a national association of businesses working toward a prosperous future based on secure, clean, affordable energy. AEE and partner organizations are active in clean energy policy in over 27 states and with the federal government. AEE has offices in Washington, D.C., Boston, and home offices in San Francisco where Graham in now residing.

Graham Richard is the only son of a Tokheim executive (he has four sisters). His mother is known in the local arts community for her work with the Fort Wayne Ballet. Richard is a 1965 graduate of North Side High School and a 1969 graduate of Princeton University, where he received his B.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. After graduation, he taught at Bishop Dwenger High School.