Shaping Liberty Hill’s Future • Mary Poché Takes Helm of EDC

As Liberty Hill continues to grow and develop, its Economic Development Corporation (EDC) plays an essential role in shaping the town’s future. With Mary Poché now at the helm, the community can look forward to a bright future filled with new economic development opportunities and ongoing growth.

Mary was appointed EDC director in January with direction and support from the EDC Board and City Council “to support existing business and industry in terms of their desired growth and potential and to recruit new business and industry to Liberty Hill. To have a balanced community there needs to be places for people to work, live, shop, and recreate. This balance provides for an expanded tax base that allows for further infrastructure and services that continue to support growth.

“I am honored to have been appointed as the EDC director for Liberty Hill. I am excited to work with local businesses and community leaders to support the growth and development of this vibrant town. Together, we can build a bright future for Liberty Hill.”

Mary brings 16 years of experience working in economic development with communities of all sizes across the United States, including the Texas cities of Temple, Pflugerville, Decatur, Salado, and Jarrell, and Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico. She and her husband have also owned a business in a nearby city for 17 years, which has given her firsthand understanding of the challenges and opportunities many businesses face. This unique perspective has given her the knowledge base to collaborate at the "speed of business" in conjunction with a city's needs and requirements.

In The Spotlight

Established in 2002, the Liberty Hill EDC is led by seven members all eager to support the community, including Tiffany Stillwell, president; Demetrice Gonzalez, secretary; and board members Steven Schiff, Amy Gandy, Landon Smith, Greg Parma, and Robert Baughn.

Located on busy Highway 29, "Liberty Hill has mostly grown organically, but because the light is shining so brightly on Central Texas now, and specifically Williamson County, there is going to be a big push for structured

economic development. Community and public desire have been considered and are documented in the new Strategic Plan, which is nearing completion. This plan will be the marching orders for moving forward,” Mary says. While much of the early groundwork has been laid for the EDC, she adds there is still a lot of basic work to be done, such as creating a new website and collateral materials, and completing the economic development plan.

To address the first of the EDC’s primary missions— supporting legacy business in Liberty Hill—the board of directors has created a subcommittee to work on new programs, using metrics and parameters as ascribed by the legal set-up of the LHEDC, that will provide a means of helping existing businesses thrive.

Second, the EDC is actively recruiting companies to build in or relocate to Liberty Hill, thus creating primary jobs for residents and newcomers. Mary adds, “An equally important task is to bring in jobs and the property tax base to be the rising tide that lifts all boats. If you bring the jobs here and have people who live here, retail and commercial will follow. Bringing the companies with those primary jobs is the biggest mandate.”

Mary Poché

Based on preliminary findings of the Strategic Plan, the EDC sees mid-size businesses as likely targets for Liberty Hill. Mary says, "Businesses with 25-150 employees with an average salary in the $85-100K range that could go into a nicely done office or flex space would work well in Liberty Hill. There will be a push to attract those kinds of developments."