In the recent May 2nd election, longtime Irving–Las Colinas resident and former Las Colinas Association Board of Directors Chairman, Al Zapanta, was elected Mayor of Irving, while fellow resident Mark Cronenwett was re-elected to represent District 5. The community also celebrates David Pfaff, a longtime resident who was elected to District 2 in 2025. Read below to learn more about the mayor and council members.
Albert (Al) Zapanta was elected mayor of the City of Irving in May 2026. He was previously elected to serve three terms as council member for District 6.
Mayor Zapanta is President and CEO of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, which operates eight regional offices in the United States and eight in Mexico. He was the founding member and Chief Executive Officer of PAZ Resources, LLC, and was Chief Executive Officer of PAZ Energy. Al worked in upstream operations of Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO Oil & Gas) and retired as Director of Governmental Affairs. He was responsible for negotiations with U.S. and Mexican governments on oil and gas matters and coordinated ARCO’S effort to deregulate the natural gas market, which later became the Natural Gas Policy Act.
Mayor Zapanta is a retired Major General, U.S. Army. His military record includes the award of the Silver Star, 5 Bronze Stars for Valor, the Purple Heart, and 30 other awards during the Vietnam War era. He was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Restore Hope in Somalia and Restore Democracy in Haiti.
Mayor Zapanta held numerous Presidential appointments throughout his career, including White House Fellow with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Management and Administration, U.S. State Department Advisory Committee on International Trade Technology and Development, and private sector delegate to the U.S. Mexico Partnership for Prosperity and Chairman for the Reserve Forces Policy Board, U.S. Department of Defense.
Mayor Zapanta has a BA in Industrial Psychology, MA in Public Administration and has completed work for his PhD in International Political Economics from the University of Southern California. He graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Business, the Inter-American Defense College at the National War College, Washington, D.C.
Prior Committees
Mayor Zapanta has an extensive history of serving on various city and community boards prior to being elected to city council. He was appointed to the 2006 Bond Committee, the 2008 Charter Review Committee, the Human Relations Committee, and the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 1 Board. As a council member, Mayor Zapanta was Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee, co-chair on the Board Appointment Committee, and served on the Transportation and Natural Resources Committee. He was also the Council liaison to the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau Board, Irving Flood Control District, Section Ill and Sister Cities.
Family
Al has been married to his wife, Rochelle, since 1970. They have two daughters and one son.
Mark was born and raised in Monroe, Michigan. An alumnus of the University of Dallas and the Catholic University of America Law School, Mark is a financial services, business, and real estate litigator at Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith.
After moving to Irving in 2009, Mark began his service to the community as a YMCA coach and a member of its board. He was then appointed to the board of Tax Increment Funding District No. 1, which he chaired for six years. As the Chair of the TIF, Mark served as a member of the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau. He also served on the board of the La Buena Vida Foundation. Mark chaired the 2019 Municipal Bond Commission and the following year was appointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission, on which he served for six years, with the last two as the chair.
Mark was elected to the Irving City Council to represent District 5 in June 2023 and again in May 2026. He was appointed Deputy Mayor Pro Tem in June 2025. Councilman Cronenwett serves on the Community Services & Public Safety Committee and is the Chair of the Planning and Development Committee. He is the council liaison for the Dallas County Utility Reclamation District (DCURD) and the Irving Flood Control District, Section I.
Mark, Suzannah and their family have loved the over 16 years they’ve lived in University Hills and are now enjoying introducing their grandson to the ducks at the ponds.
David Pfaff is a lifelong Irving resident, business leader, and active member of the community. Elected to the Irving City Council in 2025, he brings over 30 years of leadership and business experience to Irving, including serving as CEO of an Irving-based semiconductor testing company.
Councilman Pfaff earned his degree from Pomona College and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He has led numerous civic efforts, including co-founding the Irving Kids Charity Golf Tournament, chairing the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, and serving on the board of the Irving Schools Foundation.
Primary focus areas for David include public safety, strong infrastructure, low taxes, and long-term economic growth. He is committed to keeping Irving safe, vibrant and future-ready.
Councilman Pfaff serves as the co-chair to the Boards Appointment Committee, and he is on the Audit and Finance Committee and the Planning and Development Committee. He is also the Council Liaison to the Arts Board.
David and his wife Sharon have lived in Cottonwood Valley for over 25 years and raised their two children in Irving.