Focus Daily News: What elected official seat do you sit in?
Clifford Shaw: Cedar Hill City Council Seat 6.
FDN: How long?
CS: For 23 years.
FDN: What is your main goal as a city council member during this term?
CS: My priority this term is to continue the implementation of our Comprehensive Plan.
FDN: What made you decide to get into politics?
CS: Having been an informal leader in the community prior to 1998, I wanted an opportunity to serve my city and the citizens of Cedar Hill in a meaningful way.
FDN: What have been some of the surprises?
CS: It has been a great learning experience. My service has afforded me the opportunity to learn and understand the inner workings and importance of local government through policy development and strategic, long-term planning.
FDN: What have been your challenges?
CS: Challenges, such as the post-covid reallocation of vacant retail space and citizen employment loss, as well as making the necessary adaptations to decisions made at the state level have been opportunities for the city to pivot and implement change that benefits the entire city.
FDN: Where do you see the city going in the next few years and who (how?) will you contribute to that?
CS: Cedar Hill is fortunate to have an extensive and well-developed Comprehensive Plan and a dedicated, tenured staff. I will continue to provide wise and thoughtful guidance to the staff and leadership of the city, based on my years of experience and the insight and wisdom that comes with 23 years of service.
Clifford Shaw’s Bio From City of Cedar Hill Website
Clifford R. Shaw was elected to the Cedar Hill City Council, Place 6 in 1998. Clifford has been active in the Cedar Hill community since the early 1990s when he coached his children’s youth sports teams.
As a city council member, Clifford is proud of the growth and economic expansion that has occurred in Cedar Hill during his tenure. He looks forward to opportunities to enhance Cedar Hill as a destination city and to continue to position Cedar Hill to take advantage of smart growth and development. He is committed to forward-thinking citizen engagement and welcomes opportunities to communicate with citizens about their city government. Clifford believes that Cedar Hill is special because of the city’s diversity and its residents’ willingness to talk openly and candidly about sensitive issues.
Committed to ensuring a high quality of life in Cedar Hill, Clifford is a strong advocate for parks, recreation, and open space. He was instrumental in the development of many community facilities enjoyed today, including Valley Ridge Park, the Alan E. Sims Cedar Hill Recreation Center, and the Cedar Hill Government Center. Clifford is passionate about strong neighborhoods, and he has supported initiatives to strengthen the city’s focus on neighborhood engagement and beautification.
Prior to his service on the city council, Clifford was engaged in Cedar Hill as an advocate for African-American representation and participation in city government and the school district. He helped found an organization, Diversity and Equality in Cedar Hill, which worked to elect the city’s first African-American council member in 1995.
Clifford holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University and works as a system engineer for DCMA Lockheed Martin. Clifford is proud of his three children, who are all CHISD graduates: La’Katheryn, LaKandice, and Clifford Jr.
