OUR TURN: Rives’ appointment at Marble Falls Chamber latest positive signal

This past week, the official installation of Bill Rives as the executive director of the Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce is another sign things are turning around for the Highland Lakes.

For far too long the news has been about closing shops on Main Street in Marble Falls, sagging sales taxes, problems with attracting new businesses to the area and the ups and downs of managing the Colt Circle building by the Economic Development Corp.

But all indications seem to be there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and, no, it’s not an approaching train.

Hiring Rives as the Chamber executive director is symbolic of the new day that seems to be dawning for Marble Falls and the Highland Lakes.

His selection is just the latest example of how a modern set of leaders from the Chamber to the City Council, EDC and even the Marble Falls School Board — some familiar, but many new — are stepping into leadership roles with fresh energy, unique ideas and a different way of getting the job done.

Lines of communication and cooperation between different groups and agencies that have been narrowed or even closed for years seem to be reopening, and that can only be good for the Highland Lakes.

Rives is certainly the perfect choice for his new role. The career educator, musician, art patron and marketer is enthusiastic, eager and well-liked by nearly everyone who knows him.

His affable attitude, ability to engage friend or stranger and ready smile make him the best ambassador possible for the city. As a principal at Colt Elementary School, he was adored by parents and children alike — while also managing a campus in an efficient and orderly manner. He brought those same skills to his other vocations, and running the Chamber will be no different.

One of the Chamber’s missions is to sell the city as a great place to work and live. To do that, you need someone who makes people feel welcome and liked. Rives’ warm personality exudes those traits, but even better, he is also someone you can trust.

The Chamber’s board chose wisely by appointing Rives. If the past is any indication, people will want to work with him and for him; a big part of a successful Chamber is encouraging volunteer participation and retaining staff with institutional memory.

A look at Rives’ resume may not paint a picture of a man with a lot of Chamber-style experience, but, in the end, what matters is having someone in place who understands Marble Falls, its history, the personal relationships that exist and the needs of the business community in general.

Rives seems to fit that role just perfectly.

And in the meantime, things are looking up elsewhere. Rives’ predecessor Christian Fletcher seems to be fitting in at the helm of the EDC, where old initiatives from a previous administration are quietly being scrapped and the focus is returning to attracting and retaining businesses in Marble Falls.

The torturous relationship with Ronn Motor Co., for instance, has ended at the Colt Circle Building, and now the EDC has a new tenant — a manufacturer of public restrooms with a proven track record and the promise of more jobs to come.

Even at the Marble Falls Independent School District, there is change afoot, as new Superintendent Rob O’Connor brings onboard athletic director and head football coach Todd Dodge. The latter’s success with state champions Southlake Carroll is legendary, and the hope is that, given time, the Mustangs will enjoy a similar record.

There is plenty of good economic news, too. The State Comptroller’s Office reports that area sales taxes have risen slightly, and a host of building projects promise new revenue streams — the new U.S. 281 bridge, the nascent Scott & White hospital south of town, the $500 million replacement for the Ferguson Power Plant and even new medical clinics in Kingsland.

Only time will tell if all of these endeavors will bear fruit. But now, at least it feels as if hope and change, rather than frustration and stagnation, hang in the air.