After the city’s first ever city manager, George Purefoy, retired following 34 years of service to the city, Wes Pierson became Frisco’s second ever City Manager, taking a position at the helm of a city whose story is continuing to unfold in a grand way. 

It’s a change that comes as Frisco is in the midst of getting continuous national attention for its big wins, including the welcoming of the PGA of America headquarters and the announcement that the Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast from The Star next year. The city will play a role as the 2026 World Cup gears up to come to DFW, and both Toshiba and Comerica Bank have recently announced innovation hubs that will be located in Frisco.  

“We are enjoying the fruits of some amazing labor,” he said Tuesday. “That is not by accident, and it’s very easily lost, so we need to remain committed to continuing to be great.”

The remark was a response to an audience member’s question at an event hosted Friday by the Frisco Chamber of Commerce. The question: What do you see as the biggest obstacle moving forward for Frisco?  

Pierson’s answer: Being complacent. 

“Frisco’s already one of the best cities in America,” he said. “I think we can be world class. And we need to start thinking about today what is needed to be able to, in the future, not only make world class happen, but then be able to sustain it.”  

Friday’s event, dubbed “Up Close: A conversation with our new city manager,” was a chance for members of Frisco’s local and business community to learn about the man who has taken up the city’s torch. 

That meant learning about Pierson at all levels, including his professional background (which includes stints with the local governments Allen, Corpus Christie and Addison), his philosophy (there’s a placard that says “Think” on his desk), his personal joys (he will jump at the chance to tell a dad joke), and some of his favorite food (which includes Tillamook’s "Udderly Chocolate" Ice Cream). 

It also meant hearing his impressions of Frisco, now that he has almost two months under his belt. 

“We are incredibly blessed,” he said. “This community is special, and you hear that a lot. (...) People who are outside this community don’t realize what truly is going on, and I hope people that live in this community don’t take it for granted,” he said, adding that there were no words for what was taking place in the community. 

The event was a chance for members of the community to throw questions his way, asking him about the role of the city manager versus that of the mayor, how the city operates in the midst of state legislative sessions, his thoughts on the wellbeing of the community and his take on the businesses and community collaboration in Frisco. 

“Frisco is unique in that there is a good group of people that are well-intentioned, and that may not always agree with one another, but that care more about this community than they do about necessarily being right on a particular thing,” Pierson said. “And that needs to continue to flourish in order for Frisco to be in the future what it is today.”

One final question from Tony Felker, Chamber President and CEO and moderator of Friday’s discussion, asked how members of the business community can do their part to keep Frisco moving forward. 

Pierson summed it up with a line that recently featured in the award-winning TV show “Ted Lasso”: “Be curious, not judgemental.”  

Audrey Henvey is the reporter for the Frisco Enterprise, McKinney Courier-Gazette and Celina Record. Email her with story suggestions at ahenvey@starlocalmedia.com.