Richard P. Contreras began service on the Melbourne City Council in 2000.  He has been elected by the Council to serve as Vice Mayor three times.  He was elected from Melbourne's District 1, which is the northernmost district stretching from just south of Parkway Drive to the north city limit, and from the Indian River Lagoon to the west city limit. Link to Map of Districts.  He was appointed to the City Council in May of 2000, and was elected to the Council in November of 2000.  His current term continues through November of 2008.  He was appointed as a member of the Melbourne Airport Authority in 2005.

Prior to election to the City Council he served the City as a member of the Building Board of Adjustment and Appeals and as a member of the Code Enforcement Board.

Council Member Contreras is a native of San Antonio, Texas, and has lived in Melbourne for more than 19 years.  He is employed by Northrop Grumman Corporation as a System Compliance Manager. Formerly, he was a Quality Engineer with Harris Corporation. He has served as a member of the adjunct faculty of Brevard Community College teaching quality engineering courses.

Education and Training: Council Member Contreras is an Honors graduate of Webster University, where he earned a Master's Degree in Computer Resources Management, and a graduate of Troy State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Electronics Management. He also completed business administration courses at Pensacola Junior College and City Colleges of Chicago. He is also a Leadership Brevard Program graduate, and is an AS9100 / ISO 9001 Certified Lead Auditor.

His U.S. Navy technical training includes courses in Advance Electronics, Instructor Training, Leadership and Management, Total Quality Leadership, Career Information and Counseling, and Drug and Alcohol Program Prevention. Training courses completed through Excel Partnership in Chicago include Integrated Quality and Environmental Audit Training, and Skills for Success for the Management Representative. He also completed the Florida League of Cities' 2003 Institute for Elected Municipal Officials course.

Military Service: Council Member Contreras served on active duty from 1975 to 1989 with the United States Navy, and served with the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1989 to 2002. He was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal on retirement as an Electronics Technician Chief Petty Officer with 27 years of service.

Community Service: Council Member Contreras has long been active in many areas of the local community. He is a Board member of the Florida Today Reaching Out Program, and a member of the Space Coast League of Cities, Honor America, and the American Society for Quality. He also is a sponsor and assistant coach for the Greater West Melbourne Little League and an Assistant Cub Scout Den Leader.

He is a past President of the Alliance of Hispanics of the Space Coast, Inc., and a past member of the Brevard Cultural Alliance, the Brevard County Tourist Development Council (Grants Committee), the USNR Southeast Policy Board, the Orlando Chief Petty Officer's Association, and the Society of Mexican-American Engineers and Scientists. He has also served the community as a guest speaker for the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) and Hispanic-American Heritage Cultural Awareness at Patrick AFB, and for the Brevard Council Chambers' Leadership Brevard on Workforce Diversity.

He is a member of the Ascension Catholic Church, and a repeat participant in the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Men Cooking from the Heart annual event.  He was also a Board member and past President of Weston Park Homeowners Association.

He has been married for 29 years, and has one son. He and his wife Marguerite enjoy traveling to visit friends and family throughout the United States and abroad. Snow skiing is also a favored pastime.

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