Embracing life in my community
By Cynthia Hernandez
When I talk to a business about moving to Belton, I don’t use a canned sales pitch. I just speak honestly from the heart about the merits of this community and how it is a place of acceptance, growth and tremendous opportunity. I know these things from nearly two decades working in economic development here and from my own career path.
My grandparents moved to the United States as contract migrant workers in California, leaving seven children behind in Mexico. This great sacrifice was necessary to provide a better life for their children. The family slowly reunited as money was saved, papers were prepared, and one by one (youngest to oldest), their children arrived at their new home in California.
My mother, the oldest, was 16 when she came to this country. Years later she met my father, a Texas native, who quickly came back home with his young family in tow. Eventually we landed in Belton by way of my father’s new job at the Bell County Expo Center. A few years later, we moved to Holland where my sisters and I stayed active in sports, band, FHA and various activities that kept us “too busy to get into trouble,” according to my mother.
As a college student, I worked part time, sometimes holding two jobs to help pay for classes and later to help make ends meet as my husband and I started our young family in Temple. My part-time jobs provided me with great experiences, amazing mentors and good friends. I worked at the Bell County Expo Center, Belton Area Chamber of Commerce, and for Lena Armstrong at the Belton Public Library.
Eventually, I landed my first full-time job as a receptionist at Belton City Hall. I took great pride in every job, and those experiences stay with me today.
In 1999, I was invited to work as an administrative assistant for the executive director of the Belton Economic Development Corporation.
Two years later, I accepted a job as a planner for the Central Texas Council of Governments. The move was bittersweet because I truly enjoyed my work at the BEDC. My employer had invested in me, helped me grow professionally and instilled in me his passion for economic development, but the move to CTCOG was good for my family and equally rewarding.
From time to time, my husband and I discussed a move to a big city; our children were young and a move would be easy, but opportunities kept coming. In 2005, I received an invitation to come back to work for the BEDC in a different capacity, and for a different director. It was a profession I was passionate about, and again, it was a good move for my family. In my time back at the EDC, I have experienced community growth, expansion of programs and the flourishing of partnerships. In 2011, the BEDC Board of Directors, with support from the Belton City Council, appointed me to the position of executive director. I was 34. Sure, I had worked hard and persevered, but I also recognized that was a product of a wonderful community that kept inviting, investing and engaging me in ways that motivated me to become better. People took me under their wings, mentored me and opened doors.
Today, I live in Holland with my husband, Chris, and four children. I serve on the Holland Independent School District School Board, where my two youngest children attend school. My husband and I both work in Belton. We are active members of St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Temple. I serve on the Board of Directors for Workforce Solutions of Central Texas and the Association of the United States Army – Fort Hood Chapter Board of Governors.
As I reflect on Central Texas, I take great pride in this community where I live, work, play and pray. Central Texas welcomed a young student and provided her with opportunities for personal and professional growth. This region cultivates great talent and I, like the many others I have met along the way, look forward to inviting and engaging people to actively be a part of what Central Texas has to offer.
