Public Health and Safety 

Modern society brings with it the ability to access knowledge like never before. I marvel at the information at our fingertips. The recent pandemic has brought to the forefront the needs of communities, both large and small, to serve and protect their citizens in different ways.

Allen has often been recognized as one of the safest cities in Texas. A large amount of credit goes to the City leadership of years past that has provided the support to hire and train some of the best. The police and fire personnel are some of the heroes of our community. While I was on Council, we were avid supporters to help them be the best they could be. I am a big fan of our chiefs and their focus on serving and protecting the community.

As a founding member of CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams), I worked closely with our fire department. Those women and men have long been the envy of many. Their best practices have been shared across the nation. Public health has gone hand in hand with public safety as our fire department has taken a lead role in distributing the COVID-19 vaccines. Their efforts should be applauded. Beyond what the city can do to ensure public safety and health is what individuals and families can and should do to promote healthy and safe communities

Symbiotic Partners 

One person or entity cannot do it all. We are all partners in our community. Each of us has a role to play in making Allen a great place to live, work, worship, and play.

Successful communities are filled with symbiotic partners like our school systems.  Allen ISD, along with Lovejoy and Plano ISD’s, is critical partners in our community. A strong school system will help keep Allen attractive as a place to live. Likewise, a clean, well-run city with family-friendly amenities will attract strong families to fill our schools. The link between the city and school districts must remain strong and supportive.

While that partnership may get much of the attention, there are many more partners that make a community strong. Churches and service organizations often provide the bulk of the hands-on, boots on the street, compassionate service. They see and recognize needs, and handle problems the city and school district never could. ACO, which is supported by many of these organizations, provides the safety net our community needs when times get tough. 

The business community was a big focus for five of my nine years on Council. Attracting and supporting community-minded businesses was part of my role on the Allen Economic Development Corporation board of directors. Having companies that added to the tax revenues and job creation was a part of the equation. Adding to the overall quality of life through being community partners was a bigger factor in my considerations.

The city has been tasked with providing quality streets and utilities, public safety, parks and amenities, and countless other services. They have been encouraged to be business-friendly while ensuring high standards. Allen continues to work well with other partners to provide safe schools and community events for all. Essentially, the success of our community is that no one entity is asked to do it all, yet all are asked to do a little as capacity and circumstance allow.