For the latest episode of Town Talk, City of Victoria Special Projects Manager Keisha Smith joined hosts Ashley Strevel and A.J. Gonzalez for a wide-ranging discussion of local projects, events and initiatives.
A Victoria native who “left and came back,” Smith helps to coordinate City projects that involve partnerships with multiple agencies and stakeholders.
“I get to be in everybody’s business in the city,” Smith joked. “I get to know what’s going on in the community and bring that back for the City Manager’s Office and Council.”
Smith is also a member of many local nonprofit boards, which she said has given her a deep appreciation for the wide variety of activities that Victoria has to offer. She cited a few of the events happening in downtown Victoria this weekend: the Hot Rod Tour of Texas, Downtown Rhythms and Theatre Victoria’s production of “Romeo & Juliet.”
“There’s a lot of things going on in the area, and it’s one of those ways we can see our De Leon Plaza being utilized fully,” Smith said. “It’s fun seeing all those different community groups kind of come together and have events around the same time and play off each other.”
The group also chatted about upgrades to Victoria’s parks, including the new bathroom at Ethel Lee Tracy Park, which has been especially popular among families with small children.
“Different community groups utilize all of our different parks, and some of them have different initiatives that they’re working on or things that they would like to see,” Smith said. “[City management] does take that into consideration when we’re looking at what the plan is for the next year.”
Other topics of discussion included the May 3 election, the Mayor’s Youth Council and the pending transfer of the University of Houston-Victoria to the Texas A&M University System.
To learn more, watch or listen to the latest episode of Town Talk on YouTube at Victoria Texas Videos or on Spotify at Town Talk (City of Victoria).