Blessed to serve Central Texas community

By STEPHANIE O’BANION

Central Texas is one of the greatest regions in our state, and I am proud to be a native Central Texan. I have spent my career in community development and believe the foundation of a strong community lies in the hands of the people. They develop opportunities and places to live, play, raise a family, work, go to school, serve our neighbors, worship, and fellowship together.

A strong community sustains a quality of life that meets the needs of all people with a vision for the future. There is nothing more meaningful than participating in community development where I call home.

My mom’s family moved to Belton in 1963 with the military. My grandad retired from Fort Hood and they continued to call this community home because of the opportunities it afforded my family. After graduating the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, my mom moved to Waco to attend Baylor University and begin her teaching career. This is where she met my dad and our family story began. Both of my parents were teachers at Belton ISD and raised my brother and me to value education.

I am a product of our local school system. I graduated Belton High School and attended Temple (Junior) College where I played tennis. During my time at T(J)C, I worked as a receptionist for the Belton Chamber of Commerce and at The Racquet Club (what is now The Summit). Living in a community where I was able to attend a quality community college and work a part time job while living at home prepared me for life at Texas A&M University in College Station where I received my education degree. From pre-K to post-secondary and pathways to careers, Central Texas has educational offerings for all.

After meeting my husband Guy, who attended UMHB, I found myself back in Temple working at the Temple Chamber of Commerce, where I was able to continue serving our community. We lived in Apple Creek Apartments until work began to move us around for a few years. We spent time in Fort Worth and Abilene, but Sept.11, 2001, caused us to evaluate our most precious priorities and we knew it was time to return to family and community. By February 2002, we were back home in Central Texas.

My love for community intensified during my 20-year career in the chamber of commerce. I had the pleasure of working with 3 different chambers of commerce; Temple, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and the last being Belton as the director for nearly 13 years. There is no other organization that is better positioned to bring people together to collaborate, to advocate, and to celebrate community. We have some of the greatest chamber leaders and organizations in the industry here in Central Texas.

My grandad taught us to live a life of dedication to God, country, and family and it was during my time at the Belton Area Chamber of Commerce where I was able share my love for our military and their families. It was a great honor to lead our local Association of United States Army chapter, the largest in the world, side by side with individuals that deeply care for our soldiers. AUSA brings communities together to be the “Voice for the Army and Support for the Soldier” and no one does this better than Central Texas. One reason Fort Hood is known as “The Great Place” is because of the tremendous, long-time community support for our military. We are blessed to live where we can faithfully serve our military. Central Texas communities provide an opportunity for everyone to contribute.

I thought my career with the chamber of commerce would last forever but the Lord had other plans for me. I had served on the United Way of Central Texas Board of Directors for several years when an opportunity presented itself for me to join the team full time. This was a natural move for me. I was able to continue working within the greatest communities in the region while serving the people in a different capacity.

Together, we are impacting the lives of our community through the United Way of Central Texas. We are strengthening the economy and providing opportunities in the areas of Health, Education, and Financial Stability for every person. This has been the most rewarding work of my life. Central Texans come together like no other to help those in need. I am continually inspired by the dedicated and passionate people I serve with every day.

So, what makes Temple and Central Texas great? I firmly believe it is the unconditional commitment of the people. Whether that be in our schools, non-profits, local businesses, public offices, military, churches, or neighborhoods; people are the foundation of this great community. We are standing on the shoulders of giants that have gone before us.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that every has.” — Margaret Mead

Let’s keep working together to make Central Texas the best it can be for the next generation.

Stephanie O’Banion is the president and CEO of the United Way of Central Texas.