With unanimous approval from the Flower Mound Town Council last month, incoming Town Manager Jimmy Stathatos is ready to take the reins in what he hopes will be a productive tenure in his new position.
Stathatos, the soon to be former City Manager of Roanoke who will assume the role of Flower Mound’s Town Manager in January, said he applied for the position because he likes what the town has to offer.
“There is great opportunity here, both personally and professionally,” Stathatos said. “I’m really excited about that.”
Stathatos replaces Harlan Jefferson, whose employment contract was terminated by town council on Oct. 8.
Stathatos, who has more than 15 years of experience in his field, said he believes that he brings some important qualities to the table.
“It think I bring a great attitude,” Stathatos said. “Economic development is one of my strengths. I think that, and I don’t mean to sound cheesy, but my ‘can do’ attitude in every facet of government and life in general is also a big plus. I want to try to find a way to say yes and to work with people instead of trying to find a way to say no.”
Stathatos said he would describe his leadership style as one where he puts people into the best possible position to succeed and creates an environment where everyone takes part in the governing process.
“I like to empower employees to be able to do their jobs,” Stathatos said. “I want to surround myself with the best and brightest and then kind of get out of the way.”
Stathatos said his main objective at this point it to get to know the mayor, council and town residents and “kind of get my hands around everything,” before he starts making goals.
“I want to really look at what I can do to help implement the council’s vision, most importantly,” Stathatos said.
His own personal vision for the town is one in which the community is able to retain its charm and appeal, while fostering growth in a responsible way.
“I think Flower Mound, as everyone knows, is an incredible community,” Stathatos said. “I look at all of the opportunities that the town has. It has a great strategic location, a wonderful quality of life, and I just look at the development opportunities.
“The most important thing I would like to say is that I think you can have economic development and still have the very high standards the town has come to expect.”
One of the factors that tipped the town council toward choosing Stathatos was his extensive hands-on experience and track record in economic development, town officials said.
During his nearly 15-year tenure in Roanoke, the city’s tax base grew from $99 million to approximately $1.7 billion and sales tax revenue increased to more than $10 million a year.
Council members were also impressed with Stathatos’ focus on customer service and creating a citizen-centric town hall culture, one of the council’s top priorities for the new manager.
Stathatos received his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University, and has a Masters of Public Administration from the University of North Texas. Prior to overseeing Roanoke, he served as Assistant City Manager in Ennis, Texas and interned in the city manager’s offices in Euless and College Station.
He and his wife, Ashley, enjoy spending time with their three boys; Ben, Parker, and Trevor.
