City Manager Bryan Bradford was honored as a Living Legend recently at the Verna’s HELP Foundation’s fifth annual Empowerment Prayer Brunch.
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred was guest speaker of the event at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas.
“When you talk to him, you can sense his true adoration for Garland,” Rockwall County District Attorney Kenda Culpepper said in presenting the award. “The City of Garland has enjoyed record-setting levels of economic development under Bryan’s leadership. Its city square has re-emerged as a place for neighbors to congregate. And its churches, organizations and businesses are thriving.”
In accepting the award, Bradford emphasized that it would be unthinkable not to share the honor with the Garland City Council for its selfless service, with the more than 2,000 public servants who work so hard behind the scenes, and with his wife Teria and her tireless efforts with Garland nonprofits.
Verna Thomas-Melton, the founder and director of Verna’s HELP Foundation, said that after the honor, Living Legends are given opportunities to tell of people who do good work in the community. Culpepper was a 2018 honoree.
“We’ll come back to Mr. Bradford,” Thomas-Melton said.
HELP is an acronym for the nonprofit’s mission, Helping Everyone Live Positive. Proceeds from the Empowerment Prayer Brunch will be used toward Verna’s HELP Foundation projects including a back-to-school giveaway, a legal clinic and job fair, and business workshops.
Information and photo provided by city of Garland.