Gyna M. Bivens lived a life of service!
From Staff Reports
Ed Gray, host of The Commish Radio Show pulled a clip of an interview and shared sincere expressions upon hearing of the passing of the Honorable Gyna Machelle Bivens on Monday, February 9, 2026. She was 71.
During that interview with Gray, she told listeners she should be re-elected because she is experienced and works hard for her constituents.
“I have a record, a damn good record,” she said. “You have to know how to fight. I bring experience of the fight. I don’t play!”
And that’s the Bivens everyone knew and respected, even as a battle with pancreatic cancer limited her participation during the short period following the diagnosis.
It was in a correspondence dated October 30, 2025, that she wrote, “I have always deeply believed in the importance of transparency, and in that spirit, I want to personally share an update about my health.
“I have recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and am currently undergoing evaluation as an inpatient at Clements University Hospital at UT Southwestern in Dallas.
“Your thoughts, prayers, and support mean the world to me during this time.”
Grounded in faith, this daughter of a preacher was uplifting and supportive to the end.
Long before she won the District 5 seat on the Fort Worth City Council in 2013, the Fort Worth native was an accomplished, highly respected journalist and community servant.
A proud graduate of North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas), with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Radio/TV/Film, Bivens was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
For nearly 20 years, she was President and Executive Director of
North Texas Leaders & Executives Advocating Diversity (LEAD), a consortium of major employers in North Texas whose chief executive officers seek to increase diversity in their managerial ranks.
Before accepting this role, the Fort Worth City Councilwoman was recruited in 1998 to become the first African American corporate spokesperson for one of the nation’s largest electric utility companies.
Her professional background includes work as a news reporter and public information manager, showcasing her expertise in communication and community engagement.
Bivens has extensive experience in municipal governance and public service. She had been actively involved with the Texas Municipal League and the National League of Cities, where she held various leadership positions, including Vice Chair and Chair of the Community Economic Development Committee.
Bivens spent part of her career as a television news reporter, interviewing every U.S. president dating back to Jimmy Carter. Many also became familiar with her voice on Soul 73 KKDA-AM, KRLD and other stations across the state.
She has volunteered with many organizations and was twice elected Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for the Fort Worth Transportation Authority.
A dedicated team player, Bivens served on more than 30 boards and commissions and has been recognized, awarded and presented by several organizations.
Her contributions have been recognized with several awards, including honors from the Fort Worth Business Press and the Dallas Press Club. In 2021, she was named a “Superb Woman” by Texas Metro News.
Long-time corporate executive and former chair of the Tarrant County Democratic Party, Deborah Peoples, now sits in the seat Bivens once led from. Praising her “tireless dedication,” Peoples wrote about how even as she battled her illness, Bivens, “carried herself as she always has, with grace and strength and love.”
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, in a statement, referred to Bivens as her “dear friend and mentor.”
“She was a refreshing voice of reason when we needed it the most,” she wrote.
With that voice, sense of humor, her smile, stylish dress, and full of energy, Bivens was short in stature but long on results and strong in her honoring of commitments.
Funeral arrangements were not available at the time of publication.
