Goodyear’s first female mayor, Georgia Lord, passes away at age 83
Dec 12, 2021, 6:34 PM | Updated: Dec 13, 2021, 9:26 am
(Courtesy photo/City of Goodyear)
(Courtesy photo/City of Goodyear)
PHOENIX — Goodyear’s first female mayor, Georgia Lord, died Sunday afternoon, the city announced.
The mayor had recently fallen at home and broke her hip, ultimately leading to a decline in her health, city officials said in a press release.
Vice Mayor Brannon Hampton is serving as acting mayor until a current city councilmember is appointed by the Goodyear City Council to complete Lord’s term, which ends in December 2022.
In fall 2022, an election will be held to select a new mayor to take office in January 2023.
Lord moved to Arizona in 1997 with her husband Col. Ronald Lord and launched her career in government when she was elected to the city council in Goodyear in 2005.
She was elected as mayor in 2011.
“I found public service to be rewarding. I saw for myself how local government shapes everyday lives, creates a community, and impacts overall quality of life. I really wanted to be part of that excitement,” Lord previously said.
She served on various committees and councils, including Arizona League of Cities and Towns Executive Committee, Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Council and Transportation Policy and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council Board of Directors.
The mayor is survived by four children, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren, officials said.
Gov. Doug Ducey ordered flags on all state buildings lowered to half-staff Monday in Lord’s honor.
“Mayor Lord was dedicated to the people of Goodyear and served them until the end. … As Goodyear’s first female mayor, her legacy as an incredibly passionate public servant will live on,” Ducey said in a press release.
