Steering Liberty Hill's Growth

by Charlotte Kovalchuk

Christian Kurtz Takes Helm as Economic Development Director

Christian Kurtz has taken the helm as Liberty Hill’s newly minted economic development director following the retirement of the city’s former steward of business and growth, Mary Poché.

As a member of the Texas Economic Development Council and the International Economic Development, Christian came across what he calls an intriguing opportunity to lead Liberty Hill’s economic development department.

“Liberty Hill is a beautiful city full of potential to shape its own destiny. That opportunity was what really pulled me in. I see cities in our region that grew without intention or measures in place to guide the best use of their resources. I wanted to be part of helping this city avoid those mistakes.”

Both his 25-plus years of business management experience and previous 12-year role as economic development director for Pflugerville, which he says has grown — much like Liberty Hill— at an explosive rate, helped prepare him for that mission. While he only just started July 8, Christian is excited about the opportunity to foster job growth and attract new businesses to Liberty Hill.

BUILDING A THRIVING DOWNTOWN

Looking ahead, one of Christian and the Economic Development Corporation Board’s main goals is to help the city implement the Downtown Master Plan. The plan aims to draw more people to the downtown with added signage in highly trafficked areas like Highway 29 as well as other efforts like more downtown event spaces and transportation improvements. He also plans to recruit businesses from sectors such as advanced manufacturing, AI, life sciences, and campus headquarters to help keep citizens in town during the day instead of having to commute to other cities. “In cities where rooftops outnumber the commercial and business growth, the burden for the cost weighs too heavily on the residents. One of the greatest missions of economic development is to help diversify the economy by bringing in jobs and capital investment.”

The biggest obstacle Christian faces is one he says needs to be addressed by more than just him and his team. “Infrastructure like water, electricity, and roadways – the costs for the city and its partners to provide these have grown exponentially and to keep doing so will require help from all of the partners. It’s not just an economic development-related challenge, it is one all of us share.”