Lionel Rivera

Lionel Rivera served as mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Elected in April 2003 and re-elected in 2007 on a mail ballot only election. He is the first Hispanic Vice Mayor and Mayor in the history of the city.

Originally from El Paso, Texas, Rivera came to Colorado Springs in 1984 as an Army Captain at Fort Carson. He has served on many community boards including being a founder and past president of the Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, serving on the Colorado Springs Greater Chamber of Commerce Board and United Way Board of Trustees and Executive Committee and a co-chair of The Springs Community Action Plan. Rivera was first elected to an at large City Council seat in April 1997 and re-elected again in April 1999. In April 2001 he was elected by his City Council colleagues to serve as Vice Mayor for a two-year term.

Rivera holds a Bachelor's Degree in Microbiology from Texas Tech University and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Jacksonville State University.

He ran for U.S. Congress in Colorado's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives but lost in the Republican primary to Doug Lamborn, on August 8, 2006.

He was succeeded by Colorado Springs mayor Steve Bach on May 17, 2011. He did not run for re-election due to term limits.