the Hill Country, where would it be? Without hesitation he said Cordillera Ranch! He and his wife had maintained homes in the area and he seemed to know what he was talking about,” says Mike. The following summer, they did exploratory visits to the Hill Country and Austin. “We both agreed that Cordillera Ranch was the place to be. Of course, the golf course was a big draw, especially for Mike, but we liked all aspects of Cordillera Ranch. The many activities and the friendly people set Cordillera Ranch apart from the other places we considered. It seemed like the perfect place to spend the next phase of our lives. Both daughters and their husbands and our grandchildren live in Houston, so after many years of living quite far apart, the short drive to Houston is no problem. In addition, many of our work friends have retired in the San Antonio/Austin area so Cordillera Ranch is perfectly located,” says Patsy. “We bought our lot in 2007 but didn’t seriously begin the planning and building process until we repatriated back to Houston in 2015. I like to joke that I’m still trying to get my cost per golf round down after paying dues for 10 years before living here,” says Mike.
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After 37 years, 20 spent on international assignments with his family, Mike retired from Chevron as Vice President of Corporate Organizational Capability in early 2017. “It wasn’t until just before retirement that we finally returned to Texas full time after 30 years away,” says Patsy. They built a home with Damon Christofilis and designed by Gustavo Arredondo and were thrilled with the process. “Damon was extremely patient and when we finally approached him about building 10 years later, he was excited (relieved) about getting us on board. We can’t praise Damon and the incredible team he has assembled enough. They made the 18-month task of building our first home easy and fun and guided us every step of the way.” Though they’ve only lived there six months, Cordillera Ranch has been a good life fit. “We were drawn by the peacefulness and beauty and enjoy feeling like we live in the country yet are not far from the city. We also love the opportunities that the Cordillera community provides for meeting new people and exploring and developing new hobbies and interests,” says Patsy. Mike and Patsy are known for their