Burnt Orange Report

Paula Hightower-Pierson Enters TX-93 Race

By Damon McCullar

Paula’s dedication to children and children’s issues has been at the core of her commitment to public service. Noting a lack of local resources for victims of child abuse, Paula founded the Alliance for Children to address this urgent need. Since then, Arlington’s Alliance for Children has been a safe haven of kindness, counseling and care for over 20,000 child abuse victims.

In 1989, Paula was elected to the Arlington City Council where she served with distinction for four consecutive terms. Among other things, she chaired the Education, Crime Issues and Economic Development Committees and boards including Transportation, Housing, Downtown Revitalization and the Arlington Sports Authority.
During her 10 years of service on the City Council, her efforts and leadership skills were instrumental in such endeavors as saving thousands of jobs at the Arlington GM plant, inducing National Semi-Conductor to significantly expand a major facility in North Texas, and building the Ballpark in Arlington.

Paula has received recognition as a Life Member of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and as a Presidential appointee to the National Advisory Council of the United States Small Business Administration. Prior to creating her own company, Paula was a successful Realtor and served as Vice President of Business Development for the Henry S. Miller Company.

In 2000, Paula founded Expedited Recovery, Inc. to provide services to healthcare providers and their patients, and she presently serves as CEO of this dynamic, rapidly-growing corporation. As a successful businesswoman, Paula has an acute appreciation of the fact that access to quality healthcare is vital for families and businesses.
According to Star-Telegram columnist O.K. Carter, “If ever there was an opportunity for Democrats to reverse a shutout in Arlington stretching over more than two decades, that moment has arrived. Pierson is a tough, relentless campaigner who will show up with adequate resources.” (Arlington Star Telegram 8/29/05)

Today, Paula lives in Arlington with her husband, attorney Grey Pierson, and is the proud mother of two grown children, Chris Hightower and Lorie Quirk, and the very proud grandmother of Kendall Quirk, age 10, and Shaun Quirk, age 6. Paula and Grey attend the First Christian Church in Arlington.

She's running against Rep. Toby Goodman. He's a vulnerable Republican in the House. He only beat his opponent, Mike Gregory, in 2004 56.6%-43.4%. This might be a race worth watching.