The place first caught our eye, but the people quickly caught our hearts.”

Q: Can you talk about the people, the place and the values of Celina that attracted you and your family to live and lead here?

Having spent our lives in North Texas, my wife and I knew we wanted to settle our family in a community in this area that had a rich heritage, was known for public safety, had excellent schools and churches, and a place where neighbors knew and cared about each other. When we first visited Celina, we realized that we had found our spot in North Texas that met every criteria.

The place first caught our eye, but the people quickly caught our hearts. The more folks we got to know, and the more friends we made, we realized not only does Celina have a rich and strong heritage, but our family shared the deep values and convictions entrenched here. Since the day we arrived, we have never looked back, and I can’t see a day where we would ever want to live anywhere else. It’s always a beautiful day in Celina!

Q: The title of Mayor of Celina is a high and honorable one. With that title, however, comes the great weight and responsibility of leadership. What was it about the office and the huge responsibility that accompanies it that captured your interest to pursue your new role?

When we moved to Celina and recognized the incredible character of this community, I immediately wanted to immerse myself and my family here. I began volunteering with my HOA and looking for any and every way to be involved. I actively sought opportunities to meet as many people and serve in as many places as I could.

I recognized quickly that this City really had so much potential, even as growth and developments multiplied around us. I began attending Planning & Zoning Meetings, council meetings, and watching and listening around the community. Along the way, I began to feel a stirring—a calling—to lead here. I sought the counsel of my wife and our trusted friends and I prayed about where I would best be able to lead and make an impact, and I filed to run for mayor. It is a high and noble calling, and I believe that if I’m diligent to continue to seek wise counsel and remain grounded in my faith, I can make a positive mark during my time of service.

Q: If you had to identify a handful of priorities that you believe are the most important to address—and for which you will one day be remembered as mayor—what would those highest priorities be for you?

Frankly, I think back to those initial components that my wife and I sought when we fell in love with Celina, and those really will help define my priorities, and hopefully my legacy long after my time as mayor concludes. First, I want to prioritize maintaining our strong heritage, no matter how much growth and development we experience. Our historic Square, our iconic water tower, our hometown traditions, our historic values, our long-standing support of our schools, and the spirit of Celina that really defines us all must be preserved. Every decision the Council and I make should always compliment these defining characteristics.

Secondly, I want to work to maintain the impeccable reputation of our public safety professionals and make sure that they always have everything they need—ahead of the growth—to give comfort and security to families who live here and businesses who invest here. Also, we will work to forever continue the high level of mutual respect shared between our public safety officials and the community. The continued expansion of facilities, personnel, and equipment will always be a highest priority. Thirdly, I want to work with our Economic Development Corporation to continue to attract and incentivize small and large businesses. While we will work with and welcome large national chains to the community, this community must always strengthen and support small businesses that are here and those that might consider coming to Celina. Another critical priority is to partner with school officials in Celina to make sure our administrators, teachers, coaches, staff, and students know that their City loves and supports them and will work together in whatever capacity possible to continue this great relationship that has always been enjoyed between our City and schools.

Q: We hear so much talk about growth and development as it literally happens all across Celina’s footprint. What is your approach to growth and development, and what should the city focus on, most critically, to position us for sustainability in these next couple of decades while Celina builds-out?

For cities like Celina that are experiencing significant growth, it is important to focus on sustainable development that balances economic growth with environmental and social considerations. This means having a long-term vision for development that considers the needs of future generations as well as the current population.

To position Celina for sustainability in the next couple of decades, the City should focus on several key areas: transportation, infrastructure, parks and trails, and community engagement. In doing so, the City can position itself for sustainable growth and a high quality of life for its residents in the years to come.

Q: Celina has a massive footprint, but it has the heart of a “Mayberry, USA” type of community. Is it possible to grow to the population estimates but to maintain the heart of this community that the people have cherished for generations?

I would have never moved my family here and would have never embarked on running for mayor if I didn’t believe it is completely possible to maintain the heart of our Celina, even as we grow towards the projections before us. While we are pioneering growth never before seen here, we must always remember that everything we do is on the shoulders of those who have lived, loved, and built this community into who we are today. I am committed to guarding the heart and soul of this community, and though the growth is inevitable, I will never waiver on holding true to our heritage. Many communities have handled their growth well; some have not. I love this place too much to sacrifice our incredible heritage at the altar of progress. We will grow, and we will forever guard the heart of Celina.

Q: Let’s stay on the topic of our heritage. Celina is a special place. Our history and the giants who built and paved the way for the community we know and experience and love today are deeply admired and highly esteemed. As mayor, many in the community will expect that the history and heritage are carefully guarded. As mayor, how will you work to embrace this beautiful past while leading through the robust future before us?

Getting to know the people who have built the place is a high priority of mine, especially in these early days of my time as mayor. We have a heritage museum with pictures and artifacts and great people that all tell the Celina story. We have residents living here in their 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and beyond who have not only resided here all those years but have been pillars in the community for decades. The Council and I need to talk with them, hear their stories, look for ways to honor them, and then build and develop in a way that they would be proud and a way that honors their legacy. I love the historical articles in each issue of this magazine that also tell the great stories of our past. I think one of the wisest ways to build our future is to do so with a firm understanding of from where we have come.

Q: So much of our storied history is wrapped up in generations of residents and civic officials who worked tirelessly with our school leaders to create an inextricable link between the success of the City and the success of our schools, teachers, coaches, students, teams, etc. Are you prepared to continue to work to maintain this historical partnership with our school leaders?

While I have been blessed with the high honor of being Celina’s mayor, the highest honor my wife and I share is that of being parents. There will never be anything more important to me than maintaining the best relationship with our schools and their leaders. We do have a glorious relationship with our schools, as I was reminded just weeks ago when I attended the raising of our state championship flag at Bobcat Stadium. I want families that move here to do so because our schools are phenomenal, and they are celebrated and beloved by the City.

I understand some have been critical over my recognition of the fact that kids within Celina’s boundaries now attend one of two school districts. Unfortunately, I wasn’t around decades ago when school district boundaries were being drawn, or we might have all been wearing the same colors. Interestingly, when those boundaries were being drawn, students within our current city boundaries, back in those days, attended multiple schools. Celina ISD had a high school downtown. Then there was a school that wasn’t a Celina ISD School where the current Celina High School sits. Another school in an old county district was over near Weston. So many of those students and families all loved each other, loved their traditions, and still shared this community. I expect nothing less now. We will always celebrate the Celina Bobcats. The tower will light orange after every state championship, and the homecoming parade will go through our historic downtown. As for the other half of our students living in Celina but zoned to a Prosper ISD school, we will love and celebrate their achievements. They are Celina kids, and they, too, deserve our support. But, as I have mentioned, I am huge on honoring our heritage, and that heritage is inextricably linked to Celina’s schools, to the championships, and to the many memories, and I will work tirelessly to support and celebrate Celina ISD and the young people they are preparing to serve as the leaders of tomorrow.

Q: Finally, Mayor, we have just completed a very hard-fought, emotional, and close-to-the-finish political season in Celina. It seems that through each cycle, these elections become more heated and emotionally-charged. Some have said over the past few cycles that Celina feels like it is becoming a divided community. How do you plan to grow forward, build unity, and lead and serve our entire community—from our longest and deepest-rooted residents to our newest neighbors?

The race I ran and won was very close, and supporters of both candidates worked hard to get their candidate elected. As has been the trend in national and statewide elections over the past few cycles, we experienced here more of the divisiveness that sometimes accompanies elections. Following every election, emotions take time to settle, as the work of the elected officers continues.

My deepest convictions center around the fact that I was elected the Mayor of Celina, not just the mayor of those who agree with me and say nice things about me. People who supported my opponent love Celina. People who voted for me love Celina. I now have the task of leading us all forward to the greatest and brightest days for our City. For me, this isn’t a career—it is a calling. For however long I’m allowed by the voters to lead this great City, I will represent anyone who has a heart to see Celina enjoy our finest days.

We will celebrate victories together, and we will walk through challenges together. I will never lead “this Celina” or “that Celina.” There is one Celina—a place and people on the shoulders of our glorious past, enjoying this exciting present, and wisely walking toward our robust future. We can and should do that as a unified community. While we may have differences in the way we vote or voice our concerns, our values and our love for this incomparable Celina are shared, and that should propel us to the most memorable days in this history book that continues to be written.