On a Tuesday morning, Mayor Amir Omar sits in his office, responding to emails. But it’s not where you’ll usually find him. “I’m finding ways to be able to give residents a chance to be able to interact with their government outside of just City Hall,” he said. One way is to connect with neighbors over food and highlight local restaurants through his video series, Meals with the Mayor. Another way he brings government to neighbors is by holding conversations over coffee. Mayor Amir Omar. “I do a monthly coffee in different coffee shops at different times of the day, different days of the week, in different parts of the city. So, every single month I’m in some other part of the city, where hopefully it’ll be convenient for you to show up,” Omar explained. That’s part of how he clinched the mayoral seat, beating out incumbent Bob Dubey. Omar said he held 200 one-on-one coffee meetings before even deciding to run for mayor, and another 300 during his campaign. That’s on top of group meetings and knocking on doors. “The strength of what we had to offer was an understanding of what common people in every single neighborhood were actually thinking or feeling,” Omar said. NBC 5 tagged along as Omar met with Rach Potter and Stephen Barton, small business owners in downtown Richardson. Potter is a Broker and the Owner of Housed Real Estate and Barton is the Owner of Core Community Mortgage. They said they appreciate Omar’s proactiveness in getting to know his community and are energized by his leadership style and the way he brings people together. There’s something else that sets him apart from his predecessors: He’s the city’s first Muslim mayor, and it’s first Arab one, too. “Of course, I’m very proud of my Middle Eastern heritage,” he said. Amir Omar and his father. (Courtesy: Amir Omar) Omar’s mother is from Iran and his dad is from Palestine. “That matters to me and it’s a big part of what makes me, me,” he said. That’s where the seeds of service were first planted. “My mom and dad really instilled in me this kind of idea of leaving every place better than you find it,” Omar said. His initiative to plant 50,000 trees, which he launched as a city council member in 2010, now marks its 16th anniversary. It’s also a nod to his late mother, who died while he was still in high school. “I like to think that she’s looking down on me and is proud of the work I’m doing,” Omar said. Amir Omar and his mother. (Courtesy: Amir Omar) He attributed his ability to problem-solve in unique ways to his dad, who used to be a professor at Texas State Technical College. “I’m really proud to be his son and of course, to have his heritage,” Omar said. Omar was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His family moved to Texas when he was around first grade. “Definitely living the adage that I wasn’t born here, but I got here as quick as I could,” he said. But he said more than his heritage; it’s the way he approached his role as mayor that won over voters. “I mean, I think out of 80,000 registered voters, there might be 3,000 that happen to be of Middle Eastern descent,” Omar said. “So, to win — and win in that matter, it happens because the vast majority of people in Richardson look at you for the qualities that you bring to the table, the ideas that you’re sharing, and the vision that you have for the city.” And that’s why you’re more likely to find Mayor Omar outside the office, trying to cover every square inch of his city in a way that he hopes will be historic beyond his identity– though always rooted in it. “I hope people can say, and again, this was really instilled by my mom, I hope what people can say is that, ‘He left this place better than he found it,’” Omar said. ...read more read less