Departing city manager reminisces

Baytown Sun
By Jason Calder, City of Baytown
December 16, 2022

Rick Davis will soon depart Baytown after serving as its city manager for almost eight years. 

Davis announced he would be leaving last July, and now Jason Reynolds has been named interim. Reynolds is expected to have his contract approved in January, making him the next city manager. 

Davis was asked how things have changed since he first became city manager in 2015. 

“There are a lot of ways Baytown has changed, both as a community and as an organization,” Davis said. “Obviously, more folks make Baytown home now than did in 2015, but that’s because industry has grown exponentially since 2015, and there are many more jobs.”

Davis said Baytown has genuinely solidified itself as an employment center over the last seven years.  

“As a result of more residents/rooftops, the city has grown its commercial and retail inventory as well,” Davis said. “Much of the north side of Garth has come online since 2015. Back in that year, meanwhile, if we did see new retail, it was likely going to be on Garth. Now, we have commercial projects at (Highway 146 and Interstate 10), 99 and I-10, and John Martin north of I-10, and many more in the planning process across the city.

“The (San Jacinto Mall) in 2015 was still a place where I shopped, and I’d catch a movie there about every other weekend. San Jacinto Boulevard didn’t exist, of course, in those days and Texas Avenue wasn’t what it is today. Town Square wasn’t built yet, and the Brunson Theater and Citizens Bank were simply dilapidated buildings.

A bar, a floral shop, and an antique store were the only businesses from the 100 block to Market Street. And really, I could go on and on.  The point is that I was fortunate to be here when Baytown came to life. It’s been the privilege of my career to see that happen.”

Davis said as an organization, the city has changed a lot since 2015. 

“The Baytown I found was, as it is today, staffed with devoted people who loved their community,” Davis said. “I believe it was and remains this quality that has allowed us to introduce some programs that have empowered our employees to make a difference in and solid contributions to our organization. For example, when Nick Woolery was the Assistant to the City Manager, he and I spoke about a few very exciting possibilities. One of these was a leadership academy that would prepare our employees to make greater contributions to our city in the future. We did a lot of research and finally decided that what we really needed was a curriculum, one that would empower our staff to make an impact now, not just in the future.”

Woolery eventually founded a program in Colorado called the P.E.A.K. Academy, a nationally-recognized program along the lines of Lean Six Sigma.  

“We sent both Nick and (Jamie Eustace of the Sterling Municipal Library) out to Denver to learn all about it and bring back the curriculum,” Davis said. “We then rebranded it the ‘P.I.P.E. Academy’ or Process Improvement and People Empowerment. Since its introduction, hundreds of employees have learned how to make a difference in what they do. They’ve been empowered to make change, and that in turn, has had a tremendous impact on our organizational culture.”

Davis said a sense of ownership now permeates Baytown.

“I’ve received very positive feedback from many employee participants,” Davis said. “More than that, I’ve witnessed the impacts that our employees have made to our processes and the way we deliver services. Finally, I believe we are more ‘mission-focused’ today than we were in 2015.”

Davis also mentioned the Strategic Plan, a citizen-based blueprint of what they want to see happen in Baytown.

“Our city now enters the first year of the second strategic plan, and we’ve seen wonderful things coming from the first plan’s implementation, Davis said. “Our strategic planning has allowed us to better focus on the programs, tasks, and initiatives that truly benefit our citizens.  As a result, I believe there exists today more trust between City Hall and our residents, as they’ve experienced the benefits of our focused efforts. Internally, we established a purpose statement and associated core values to help us keep our eye on the ball. That purpose statement, ‘Together we enrich lives and build community,’ was recently revisited and determined to still be relevant, as were our core values of caring, innovation, collaboration, leadership, and stewardship. I feel gratified that I leave an empowered and focused organization composed of some of the best people with whom I have ever worked.”

Davis shared his fondest moments working in Baytown.

“I think of the groundbreaking for the Hotel Convention Center project,” Davis said. “I recall how it felt when we confirmed that the anchors had sold their properties to Fidelis out at the mall, and we were finally going to be able to move that project forward. I recall how exhilarating it felt when we consummated the Enterprise Chapter 212 agreement, and we knew that we’d now be able to build a new public safety campus. However, I believe the fondest moment I’ve had is when I saw the first set of ‘ignite’ presentations delivered by graduates of the P.I.P.E. Blackbelt program. 

Davis expressed what he would miss most about being city manager. 

“I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say that I will miss the people the most,” he said. “I have met some of the most caring and genuine people in my career here in Baytown. I’ve absolutely loved working with them, and I credit them 100% with the tremendous things that have happened here. I’ll miss hearing Kevin Troller yelling, ‘Hump Day!’ on Wednesdays, Lloyd Lively telling me I used too many buzzwords at last night’s council meeting, and Ed Tomjack providing me with the secret word or phrase that I needed to work into the next council meeting. I will miss the little interactions and just plain sharing good times with our folks.”

Davis said his leaving was not a permanent goodbye.

“I’ve put too much of me into Baytown to allow this to be a forever farewell,” he said. “I’ll be back in some form or fashion. I’d like to be at the ribbon cuttings of a few projects that I worked on, and I’d like to see as many as possible during the Fourth of July or perhaps at the Christmas parade. I told my wife that I will need to return every so often for a visit.”

Davis said he was grateful for his time in Baytown, but he is especially thankful for the support of his wife, Aimee. 

“I am forever grateful to my dear, wonderful wife, Aimee, for allowing me to take this job and for moving to a place that is as different from what she was used to as night and day,” Davis said. “She did so with courage and mostly cheerful attitude. She exercised faith by putting her youngest child in school here and truly tried to be a part of this community.  She loved the city and those who worked for it.  She had to endure criticisms of her husband and mistruths in the newspaper and on questionable social media platforms. But she did all of this because she knew this position was important to me. She sacrificed her own comfort so that I could serve this community. I could have never asked for anything more of her.”

Davis said he will leave remembering the folks he worked with here with much affection.

“I’m grateful to the employees of Baytown for the extreme privilege it has been to serve with them,” he said. “For those who may not know, the City of Baytown is staffed by incredibly dedicated and professional people who are as genuine as the day is long. The vast majority of folks I’ve come to know here have one question on their minds every day…it is ‘How can I bless the lives of others and make Baytown extraordinary?’ They look at their jobs as more of a ministry than an occupation. It shows in everything they do and in the results I’ve seen realized over the last seven-plus years. It has been an unparalleled honor to serve with these fine people, and I will never forget them.”

Mayor Brandon Capetillo had kind words for Davis at a going away party put on by city employees. 

“From the time we hired you until today, you always gave everything to the city and you left everything on the field, in a sense. You were solution-driven,” Capetillo said. “What I have seen through the time of your hire, you elevated this organization. You credentialed the professionals we have from the top down, and that has been remarkable for our organization.”

Former Baytown Mayor Stephen DonCarlos, who hired Davis, also spoke highly of Davis. 

“One thing that will always stick with me is your integrity,” DonCarlos said. “You are one of the most ethical men I have ever met. You have done a sterling job for our city. I know you always you had our best interests at heart.”