Gyna Bivens

Gyna M. Bivens serves as Mayor Pro Tempore for Fort Worth, Texas. She has served as the District 5 City Council member since first winning election in 2013. Bivens is known as a champion for neighborhoods throughout east and southeast Fort Worth and an advocate for economic development, neighborhood revitalization, and speaking up for senior citizens. Her advocacy for inner-city revitalization led to awarding of a $35M Choice Neighborhood Initiative grant being awarded to the City of Fort Worth and Fort Worth Housing Solutions.

Since 2006, Bivens has served as President and Executive Director for North Texas LEAD.  Created by a group of Fort Worth CEOs and former Mayor Kenneth Barr, LEAD connects college degreed professionals with employers seeking to hire top talent. 

As a newly elected official, Bivens engaged in the work of the Texas Municipal League of Cities and the National League of Cities.  After being appointed to NLC’s Community Economic Development (a federal advocacy committee), she became Vice Chair and later served as Chair of this policy committee.   Bivens serves on NLC’s Board of Directors and is the liaison to NLC’s WIMG, Strategic Partners, and Corporate Partners Council.  

Bivens was appointed as chairman of two TML Legislative Policy Committees: General Government, Annexation, and Regulation of Development in 2016. Her primary duty was to prepare members on addressing upcoming bills that would challenge their local authority to govern.  Several bills designed to usurp local authority were introduced in the 85th Legislative Session and remain a top priority to this day.

Bivens' professional career started as a news reporter for NBC television affiliates in Lubbock and San Antonio, Texas.  She also worked at KRLD, KKDA and KBOX/KMEZ radio stations and was the FOX 4 Fort Worth Bureau Chief.  She also served as the Public Information Manager for the City of San Antonio and created the cable industry’s first cable access television program (launched at a TML conference).

Outside her municipal roles, Bivens has several affiliations including:  Fort Worth Human Resources Association; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.; Public Relations Society of America and the Fort Worth Chapter of the LINKS, Incorporated.  She has been honored as a Great Woman of Texas by the Fort Worth Business Press and has won the Award of Excellence (Katie Award) from the Dallas Press Club and the Excellence in Diversity award from the Dallas Human Resources Association, among other recognitions.