Speaker to bring message of growth, possibilities to Victoria
When it comes to planning for positive changes, Ed McMahon knows that successful communities are ones with a clear vision for the future, and his presentations in Victoria will help the community find ways to develop that vision.
McMahon will visit Victoria on March 11 and 12, and give multiple presentations to different groups, including a public presentation that will focus on how to plan for and implement effective growth in a community.
He is a senior resident fellow and holds the Charles E. Fraser Chair on Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy at the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C. His visit is sponsored by the University of Houston-Victoria.
“Ed McMahon is a nationally recognized expert on community development,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “UHV is working to become a destination university, and part of that includes investing in and supporting our community. We want to support our community in any way we can, and these presentations will be excellent contributions to that effort.”
McMahon was invited to Victoria by Glenn, who knew McMahon from when they both lived and worked in Alabama. McMahon will begin his visit with a presentation at the March 11 Victoria Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. During the event, chamber members will have the opportunity to interact with him and listen to a short presentation, "Place-Making & Economic Development."
“Ed McMahon’s expertise will be a welcome perspective for Victoria’s leaders,” said Jesse Pisors, board chair of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce. “Our hometown leadership is excited to make positive changes in our community, and these presentations will help us create a plan that will have a clear impact.”
On March 12, McMahon will take part in meetings that include a morning session with the Victoria Young Professionals and lunch with UHV student leaders.
Later that evening, he will give a public presentation, “The Secrets of Successful Communities,” at in the Leo J. Welder Center for the Performing Arts, 214 N. Main St. The presentation is cosponsored by Victoria College and will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m. McMahon will speak beginning at 6 p.m. The presentation is free and open to the public. Those who wish to attend are asked to email rsvp3@uhv.edu by March 5.
“The world today is changing faster than ever, and successful communities are ones that are able to create their own change,” McMahon said. “Part of making successful changes is developing a pinpoint focus on specific areas that can help a community recruit new people and businesses.”
With that in mind, McMahon’s presentation will look at a short list of elements that are critical to community development, including factors such as a thriving downtown, use of parks and open spaces, anchor institutions such as universities, and historic buildings and how they are used and repurposed.
“People need to understand that so much of growth involves making proactive choices,” he said. “Young people now are choosing where they want to live and finding a job there, not following jobs to different locations, so communities need to focus on becoming places where people want to live. They should build on their strengths in order to set themselves apart.”
For more information, contact Pisors at pisorsj@uhv.edu or 361-570-4829.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
