On November 1, 2008, we decided to take a cross-country business trip from College Station to El Paso. We like to drive because of the freedom it allows us to stop and explore some of the historical sites along the way. Really, there is a lot to explore if you enjoy history. We had the opportunity to visit LBJ State Park in the Hill Country which we found very interesting. Did you know that LBJ had a car that would travel through water, but he would not share this important fact with his passengers as he headed full speed into the river - sounds like LBJ, huh?
On November 2nd, we arrived in El Paso at 4:30 p.m. Now, remember there was a time change because of daylight savings time and El Paso is one hour behind us (CST). This piece of information is only important if you plan to get to your appointments on time. The clock may say one thing but the body cannot be fooled.
The purpose of going to El Paso was to continue the Strategic Planning Process with Joyce, her Council and Staff. Our experience with the folks of El Paso has always been gentle, gracious and hospitable. We have had the privilege of working with Joyce and her organization for four years. We were impressed with the Leadership Team, because of their talent, professionalism and their ability to work well together. They have a nice balance between seriousness and a sense of humor. Joyce depends heavily on her four Deputy City Managers – Bill, Debbie, Jane and Pat. These five move an organization of approximately seven thousand employees within a community of 700,000. I guess we could recognize them as the El Paso Five.
The Council is still as hungry as they were four years ago in terms of investing in the future of El Paso. They speak with authority in their desire to lead El Paso to its potential. This is what makes El Paso exciting – they are not willing to settle and hunker down because of today’s economy. They use today’s economy to make wise investment decisions to advance El Paso forward.
We invite you to go to www.elpasotexas.gov and see for yourself how this West Texas city is transforming itself. TMC applauds Joyce Wilson and her staff.
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