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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNews Articles - Joe Hennig 2007DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE LOFC�_ NIA YOR CITY CNCL CITYATTNY CIZLI'1 HENNIG MCKANIIE RIDGRAY(2) BOYETT BROWN YOUNG McDONALD COLLINS C. BARKER GETCHELL LIBRARYADNIIN LIBRARYREF ANIMAL CNTR / DATE DISTRIBUTED DATE OF ARTICLE �� -D / NEWSPAPER FWST STAR•TELEGRAM/KELLEY CHINN Joe Hennig began working for Euless in 1992 and became city manager in 1999.Officials credit him with raising the city's profile and helping it grow. He will retire Oct.1. EULESS (I manager ealls,.it quits Afte-l-l" a p` r-Oduet iVe tenure ® Colleagues credit Joe Hennig with ma- ny of the city's improvements in the past eight years. By JESSICA DeLEON STAR -TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER EULESS -= City Manager Joe Hennig an- nounced that he will retire Oct. 1, after a nearly nine-year tenure that helped Euless become a city that gets noticed, officials said. Accomplishments include improving streets, landing businesses along Texas 121 and a deal for car rental sales tax revenues at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. "Joe has set a wonderful pace," Mayor Ma- ry Lib Saleh said. "For years and years, Euless was, a nothing city." Hennig, 59, said he's enjoyed the time, but he needs to rest and wants to spend time with his family. More on EULESS on 11B DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE � OF MAYOR CITY CNCL CITYATTNY CRINI HENNIG MCKANIIE RIDGJVAY(2) BOYETT BROfVN YOUNG NIcDONALD COLT INS/ C. BARKER GETCHELL LIB/R/ARYADNHN LIBRARYREF ANIMAL CNTR DATE DIS TRIBUTED k1 l / 3! ° 7 —� �y DATE OF ARTICLE �o�- / NEtYSPAPER FGYST "My friends tell me there's no way you can not do any- thing," he said. "I'm going to try for a while." Hennig began working for the city 15 years ago as director of development services. He had worked for TXU for 23 years. One of his first victories as city manager came in 1999, when he brokered a deal with Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and its owner cities, Dallas and Fort Worth, that has resulted in' millions of dollars in tax reve- nue over the years from a .car rental center. The center was built in the Euless portion of the airport. "His very biggest accom- plishment to me is,passing the peace. pipe with the D/FW air- port," Saleh said. Ue . also oversaw improve- ments' to the city's water' and sewer systems and streets, in- cluding. Main Street and Pipe-, line Road. And- he oversaw the man- agement of the Texas Star Ath- letic Complex and the con- struction of the new police and courts building on Texas 10 in 2002. Revitalizing Texas 10 re- . mains a major city goal. The city has also seen many businesses open along Texas 121. Heritage Town Crossing has Target and Chick-Fil-A. The Shops at Vineyard Village, most of which is still under construction, has a Lowe's, as its anchor. Hennig.said that the city has. "much more on the horizon." "It's not a dream anymore," he said. "It's happening." He -said he would be leaving the city in a strong financial position. "We have the funds to do things we need to do," he said. And while he never thought of the city as "Useless" as oth- ers saw it, he said the overall image has improved over the last several years. "But I would attribute that 'to the efforts of our City Coun- cil," he said, adding that he and .;,Saleh made a good team: Grapevine Mayor William Tate, who'has known Hennig for 15 years, said Euless has had little controversy during Hen- nig's tenure. "He is a very talented and gifted individual," Tate said. "He has a wonderful persanal- ity. He's been a great asset to the city of Euless." North Richland Hills Mayor Oscar Trevino said he also helged the Northeast Tarrant gCounty region as a whole. 1 "He kind of set the ;bench- mark for the restof the cities to meet and achieve," he said. Trevino said he had a calm- ing effect on when issues came up, but he could also stir it up on some issues, such as the proposed widening of Airport: Freeway. Hennig said the Oct. 1 de- parture date leaves time for a full transition, especially dur- ing the budget process. Saleh said she' doesn't .ex- pect the search for a new city manager'to begin until the new City Council is ' sworn in after the May 12 elections. Jessica DeLeon, 817-G'85-3932 jdeleon@star-telegram.com JL wM be gone '"Il �IICV1I:I=1,Ia*y ® Joe Hennig Occupation: Euless City Manager Age: 59 Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration from Texas Tech University Experience: Spent 23 years working for TXU, beginning as customer service coordinator for Texas Power and Light in Sherman and reaching the position of.director of market- ing -and customer'service for TXU in DallaS; began working in Euless in 1992 as director of development services. He also was assistant city manager and deputy city manager before becoming city manag- er in 1999. Family: Wife; Jan; children, Shay Girard and Brandon o. Hennig; grandchildren, Carlie, Claire, Clint, l�abella, Jack and Ava SOURCE: City of Euless STAR TELEGRAM/KELLEY CHINN "Joe has set a wonderful pace," Mayor Mary Lib Saleh said of the long- time city manager. "For years and years, Euless was a nothing city." DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE /Or, —L MAYOR CITY CNCL CITY ATTNY CRIM HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT BROWN YOUNG McDONALD �COLLINS C. BARKER GETCHELL LIBJ/RAR/YADNIIN LIBRARYREF ANIMAL CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED Y" DATE OFARTICLE r /(� / ? NEWSPAPER �a Euless city manager to retire Dallas Eu sm— JruinaI- I' Sa P I C DT Thurs•9:,, -pid 1'- =007 Euless Cih- AlanagerJoe Hennig said Thursda}- that he n%ill retire Oct. 1. Hennig, g9, has spent i,5 }-ears n%ith the cin- of Euless. He's been the city manager since i999. Prior to that he served as director of development seMees, assistant c•itc manager and deputy eih- manager. He joined the c•ih. staff in i99_ after a 23-Year career i6fli ITT (NYSE: TXM. During his tenure as city manager, Hennig oversaw re"italization projects such as Euless Main Street and Pipeline Road. He also was involved Mth the construction of the Texas Star Athletic Complex. Hennig said he plans to spend tine traveling and plaNing golf once he retires. "I'll probablystay involved in the c•onmunnity and the city sonnehow," Hennig said in a city nears release. DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE % OF MAYOR CITY CNCL CITYATTNY CRItYI HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT BROWN YOUNG McDONALD COLLINS BARKER BARKER GETCHELL LIBR,ARYADAIII N LIBRARYREF ANLYIAL CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTEI D ` (`�� f DATE OFARTICLE `�' /(13 / 6 2 NEWSPAPER DNIN REGIONAL ROUNDUP EULESS City manager since'99 to retire in October _ ? Euless City Manager Joe Hen- nig will retire on'Oct. 1, the city announced Thursday. Mr. Hen - mg, 59, has served, as the city manager since 1999. He has worked for the city, since 1992 and has served as direetor of de- velopment services, assistant city manager and deputy city manag- er. He worked for TXUfor 23 years before joining the city of Euless. As city manager, he over- saw. development ' along with bond projects that improved the major roads and infrastructure in ,Euless such as the revitalization of Euless Main Street and Pipe- line Road. He also was involved with the. construction of. Texas Star Athletic Complex and the DFW. Car_ Rental Facility, The City Council will determine Mr. Hennig's replacement-. MarissaAlanis DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE ` OF l AMYOR CITY CNCL CITYATTNY CRIM HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGIVAY(2) BOYETT BR06VN YOUNG McDOtVALD COLLINS C. BARICER GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBRARYREF ANLV1AL CNTIZ DATEDISTRIBUTED "7 /"1 DATE OF ARTICLE / NE6YSPAPER FTVST EULESS I CITY HALL Another set of big shoes ■ Joe Hennig's retirement plan means that EUless will have to find another top-notch city manager. It was a sad day for Euless in 1999 when Tom Hart left his job as city manager to take the same post in Grand Prairie. Hart had shown that he was very good at running Euless, and he continues to show the same skill in Grand Prairie. Everybody who followed the go- ings-on at Euless City Hall knew that it would be hard to replace Hart. Still, the City Council waited only a couple. of weeks before promoting his depu- ty, Joe Hennig, to the top administra- tive post. It proved to be a seamless transi- tion, and Euless has thrived under Hennig's leadership. Now Hennig, 59, has announced that he will retire Oct.1. That's not good. If Euless has to replace a top- notch city managers every nine years or so, it could get really discouraging. Sure, nine years is about three years longer than the average city manag- er's tenure, but you can't blame Eu- less for being spoiled. When Hennig took the job, he said his No. l priority would be rejuvenat- ing the city's Main Street corridor. Mission accomplished, along with rejuvenating Harwood Road and the eastern part of Pipeline Road, all done (on budget) under a $13.5 million bond program approved by voters in 1998.Of course, at times it seemed like the work would take forever, but the results are new, wider.roads with nice landscaping, a face-lift for the city and these crucial thoroughfares.. . Economic growth also has come to Euless during Hennig's tenure, with retail and commercial construction under way along Texas 121. The city' also has refurbished the buildings in its administrative complex with the help of revenue gained through a tax -sharing agreementwith Dallas/ Fort Worth Airport. The airport's - rental car center is in Euless, and it shares taxes on those rentals with Dallas and.Fort Worth. There's no reason to belabor the point. Having Joe Henning as city - manager has been good for Euless. He'll be on the job for almost another six'months, so the City Council has time to find a suitable replacement. It ; just won't be easy.