New York: Ken Mathew, a native of Kerala, was recently sworn in as the mayor of Stafford in the US state of Texas. He has become the first Indian-American and the first person of colour to hold this position.
According to the Fort Bend Star, Mathew, a former member of the Stafford City Council, defeated Cecil Willis, the incumbent mayor, in a runoff election this month by a margin of only 16 votes. Mathew credits his victory to God.
He was administered the oath of office by Missouri City Mayor Robin Elackatt, also an Indian-American, at a special event attended by his family members and top officials.
Indian-American Fort Bend County Judge, K.P. George, who was present on the occasion, tweeted: "Congratulations to Stafford Mayor-elect Ken Mathew! It was an absolute pleasure to attend his swearing-in ceremony this evening. Wishing him all the best as he embarks on this important role."
Former Missouri City Mayor Owen Allen and Texas representatives Ron Reynolds and Suleman Lulani also graced the occasion.
Minister of State for electronics and information technology , Rajeev Chandrasekhar, also tweeted his congratulations to Mathew.
"Congratulations to Ken Mathew from Kerala for becoming the elected Mayor of Stafford, US. He is the first Indian to be elected to the post, in 67 years' history of Stafford," Chandrasekhar wrote.
Mathew served on Stafford Council since first being elected in 2006, and served on the city's Planning and Zoning Commission for several years before then.
After graduating from the University of Bombay, the Star reported he immigrated to the United States in the 1970s.
An MBA, Mathew worked as an accountant and financial executive for several corporations, including Toshiba in the Houston area. He settled in Stafford back in 1982.—Inputs from Agencies
