Two years have flown by and Terry continues to devote endless hours and energy in service to the individuals and families of Precinct 1. Although her constituency comprises Precinct 1, Terry often “roves” the county lending a hand to solve tough issues or actively support local efforts to improve the lives of Wilco residents.
One of the Commissioners Court’s biggest responsibilities is to set a budget. This process begins sometime in March and lasts through October. The fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30.
As the end of the annual budget process approaches, Terry can be found burning the county midnight oil to ensure accountability, transparency and fiscal responsibility to the taxpayer. She scrutinizes every public dollar and stretches every public penny, while prioritizing requests from county departments for funding they feel will better serve every resident.
This last budget go-round, Terry sought to fulfill her pledge to help make Williamson County a place where every man, woman, and child has an opportunity for quality, fulfilling lives without onerous tax and debt burdens. Although the County reduced their tax rate for Maintenance and Operations by ¾ cent, with our increasing property values, our combined taxes continued to grow.
She also continues her mission to focus on the underserved—those suffering from mental illness and/or addiction, facing workforce and housing shortages, and lacking adequate health care. Throughout 2018, she attended various forums, trainings and meetings addressing housing programs, employment expansion, health care deficiencies, and treatment needs for mental illness and substance abuse.
On Nov. 28, 2018, she coordinated a six-hour training by LifeSteps Council on Alcohol and Drugs for probation officers. She’s also the sponsor of a Jan. 26, 2019, free Mental Health First Aid class presented by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) to provide attendees the tools to help someone who might be developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.
Senior Fraud Prevention is another of Terry’s 2018 initiatives, where she sponsors events at senior care facilities, inviting state and non-profit organizations to make presentations on recognizing this fraud and avoiding it. Her goal in 2019 is to expand these presentations.
Terry tirelessly urges civic engagement and strongly encourages others to do the same. She has been a volunteer deputy voter registrar for Bell, Travis, and Williamson counties, registering voters from all over the region. She also has served in Williamson County as an elections clerk, and as an alternate judge during elections. Furthermore, Terry has been involved in the planning and design of public parks and management of open space.
Terry has also visited numerous HOAs, talking to homeowners about what the county is proposing and accomplishing, and listening to their neighborhood concerns. As growth continues in the area, many people express concerns with road and traffic safety, so Terry works closely with the County Engineer to address and alleviate these concerns when possible.
She’s personally walked through neighborhoods to experience firsthand the concerns of constituents such as flooding or speeding, although constituents with non-traffic issues get equal attention from her.
As an active and dedicated member of the Capital Area Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CARTPO), to which she was appointed in 2017, Terry remains a strong advocate of improving transportation and mobility. One of her highest priorities is reducing congestion through road improvement funding and attracting employers to Williamson County.
Events in 2017 that Terry participated in included ribbon cuttings for the Williamson County and Cities Health District’s new facility in Round Rock, modernization of Dam 7 and expansion of the Brushy Creek Trail, RM 620 Phase 2 from Wyoming Springs to Deepwood Drive. She also officiated at the I-35 from US 79 to SH 45 North Project which opened the newly constructed braided entrance ramp north of Hesters Crossings. She continues to advocate for more of these road improvements in Precinct 1 and throughout the county.
Terry continues her active membership on the Central Texas Clean Air Coalition (CAC) of the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG), a voluntary association of organizations that support the regional effort of improving air quality in Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties. Her membership complements her belief that every Texan deserves to breathe clean air, which in turn attracts business and job growth.
When she lived in Colorado, Terry was a Master Gardener in a county with the most extensive public outreach program in the state. This background serves her immensely as an advisory board member since 2018 on the Williamson County AgriLife Leadership Advisory Board (LAB).
She holds a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University and worked in research and high-tech industries for 20-plus years.
As a former small business owner here in Williamson County, she has developed a strong business perspective. She has extensive experience in managing people and projects, budgeting, and contract negotiation with companies, small and large alike.
Terry tirelessly urges civic engagement for all Wilco residents. She has been a volunteer deputy voter registrar for Bell, Travis, and Williamson counties, registering voters from all over the region. She also has served in Williamson County as an elections clerk and an alternate judge during elections.
To her resume can be added her involvement in the planning and design of public parks and management of open space. This experience comes in handy as she endeavors to see the continued expansion and “one day” the completion of the Brushy Creek Regional Trail in Precinct 1.
Terry and her husband, Wayne, have called Round Rock their home for over 13 years. She enjoys interior and landscape design, unique dining experiences, traveling, Bible study, live theater, music and meeting people.