City Manager Steve Williams Connects with the Community

SCHERTZ’S NEW CITY MANAGER STEVE WILLIAMS HAS ONLY BEEN ON THE JOB FOR A FEW MONTHS, BUT HIS NEW COMMUNITY IS ALREADY PROVING TO BE A GREAT FIT.

By KIRA VILLARREAL

Williams started in his role on December 1st, relocating to Schertz from Conroe, TX, where he served as the Assistant City Manager and CFO for 17½ years. Williams brings a wealth of experience, having spent his entire career in public administration.

Williams earned both his Bachelor of Arts and his Master of Public Administration degrees from the University of North Texas. He started his career as a Sr. Budget Analyst with the City of Dallas and later served as the Director of Budget and Research for the Town of Flower Mound, TX. During his tenure in the City of Conroe, he started out as the Director of Finance and was later promoted to Assistant City Administrator.

Although he is new to Schertz, Williams had long been aware of the city’s reputation for being a friendly and welcoming place as well as a growing community with lots of exciting opportunities. He also had several friends who lived and worked in Schertz and had great things to say about the area.

“Schertz was an opportunity I had looked at over the years, and there were a lot of things that attracted me to the area,” he said. “I knew it was a growing community that will change dramatically over the next 10 years, and it’s also in a beautiful part of the state with lots of things to do.”

In his new role, Williams will oversee more than 400 employees and will be in charge of all City departments such as fire, police, emergency medical services, economic development, parks and recreation, public works, and planning and development. As he looks forward to the coming year, Williams says he’s excited about several capital improvement and economic development projects that are currently in progress. With his financial background and expertise, he’s also looking forward to the budgeting process and planning for the future.

Williams’ first impressions of his new role and community have so far been overwhelmingly positive. In his first days on the job, he had the opportunity to attend the holiday tree lighting and the Holidazzle event, giving him an opportunity to experience firsthand the sense of community for which the area is known.

“So far, I’ve been really impressed with the City staff as well as the positivity and closeness of the community in general,” he said. “It was encouraging to see so many people at a community event participating and having a great time.”

Williams also realizes that he’ll have some challenges ahead, many of them related to the area’s rapid growth that’s expected to continue in the coming years. As he works to implement capital improvements, increase personnel, and expand programs to support that growth, he plans to be especially mindful that the City is continuing to meet the needs of its citizens and its employees.

“As we work to implement the City’s strategic plan, my goal is to provide an environment that our employees are excited and proud to be a part of, showing them the vision of where we plan to be and how we intend to succeed in getting there,” he said.

On a personal note, Williams grew up in Texas and has been married to his wife, Carrie, for 29 years. The couple has four children: a daughter who lives in Arlington, VA, and three sons who live in and around the Conroe area. In his free time, Williams enjoys outdoor activities and sports, including skiing, martial arts and golf.

In the near future, he’s looking forward to getting to know his new community better, and if you happen to see him out and about, he says you’re more than welcome to say hello.

My goal is to provide an environment that our employees are excited and proud to be a part of, showing them the vision of where we plan to be and how we intend to succeed in getting there.

“I like to meet people. I’m very approachable and I’m excited about the opportunity to get involved in the community. If you see me and you want to say hi, I’d like that.”