Photo courtesy of Amanda Schulz.
Attorney, realtor and community volunteer Amanda Schulz is ready to face off against District 14 incumbent Paul Ridley in the upcoming City Council election.
Schulz said she intends to officially file notice with the City Secretary next week.
Schulz and her family live on Palo Pinto in the Belmont Addition Conservation District. Previously, she was former District 14 Council member Dave Blewett’s Park and Recreation Board appointee.
After graduating from Duncanville High School, Schulz earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and a law degree at St. Mary’s School of Law. She practiced in the area of workers’ compensation before transitioning to private practice and then eventually to a full-time effort as a residential real estate agent.
Schulz and her husband, Jon, a software professional, own Blackland Bees and have a seventh-grader and a kindergartner at St. John’s Episcopal School in East Dallas.
She currently serves on the boards of the Friends of Santa Fe Trail and the Friends of Tietze Park and previously was a board member of the service organization Altrusa International.
Why now and why this race?
“My life has followed two parallel paths — my professional skill set and a calling for service,” Schulz said in a Tuesday interview with the Advocate. “I felt both paths merge into one road during and after my time on the park board. This was an ‘aha’ moment for me. I never expected or dreamed this, but here it is.”
Schulz said she heard frustration about Ridley from small businesses. In addition, she said she wants to work with the neighborhoods across District 14, including East Dallas, Turtle Creek and Oak Lawn, to solve public safety issues.
That starts before Election Day, Schulz said. She plans to go door to door, meeting with people to share her vision and learn about their priorities.
“We need an extra level of investment on the ground,” Schulz added. ‘I’m a community builder, not a city planner.”
Filing for City Council candidates opens Jan. 18 and closes Feb. 17. Election Day is May 6. Schulz is the only announced candidate to challenge Ridley, who intends to seek reelection to another two-year term.
