Born a few blocks south of the Park Cities, in what was then referred to as “North Dallas,” Byron graduated from Highland Park High School, then received his B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Texas.

A long-time resident of University Park, Byron’s love for books was nurtured by his mother, for whom the Oak Lawn Methodist Church Library was named. So, years later after a group of community supporters, working with donated books and makeshift shelving, opened a “book bank,” and that collection along with its patronage grew in size, it came as no surprise when Byron became a driving force behind efforts to find the library a permanent home. As a Friends of the University Park Public Library president and board member, working beside his wife, Nancy, another library stalwart and former Citizen of the Year, Byron spent countless hours in pursuit of that objective. In January 2013, that goal was reached when University Park’s state-of-the-art library opened its doors in the Plaza at Preston Center in partnership with the Friends and the City.

Byron said he was surprised and honored when Mayor Olin Lane called him with news that he had been named Citizen of the Year. “You don’t think about recognition when you join others in working on something that will benefit the community,” he said. “Libraries are much more than places to house books. They are places where people gather, regardless of their age or interests, to learn, explore and share ideas.”

Byron is engaged in a corporate, partnership, securities, mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”), and financing practice. He is Senior Vice Chair and Chair of the Executive Council of the M&A Committee of the American Bar Association and is immediate Past Chair of the Texas Business Law Foundation.

Byron and his wife, Nancy, have three daughters and four grandchildren. After riding in the Fourth of July Parade, he will be presented with a plaque during a brief ceremony at the Goar Park Gazebo.

The Citizen of the Year award was created by the University Park City Council in 2005 to boost public awareness and appreciation for the many residents who work, often behind the scenes, to better the city’s quality of life.