The last 10 of his 21 years as City Manager for Sulphur Springs, Marc Maxwell has dedicated to downtown revitalization. On Wednesday night in Killeen he was honored and appreciated by the Texas Downtown Association as the winner of the Susan H. Campbell Award for Professional Excellence.
Maxwell’s passion for community is at the heart of Celebration City – Sulphur Springs. He understands the value of marketing and allocated sufficient funds to host over 500 downtown events on Celebration Plaza as well as giving life to the surrounding streets, enhancing the quality of life for the overall community, and utilizing the media to promote it.
“It is a tremendous honor, but it is more of an honor to be recognized by fellow downtowners,” said Maxwell upon receiving his award. “I wanted to share something after watching all of these nominees with great designs and great achievements – I have been in many of these buildings. All I can say is ‘wow.’ There is a common thread among them.”
He went on to quote a line he learned, “A visitor should experience a city, not just in a physical way, but in an emotional way. They should feel a connection with that city….I saw the magic someone created in every single one of these nominees tonight. Maybe that magic made someone giggle or wide-eyed with wonder, but it is obvious you have that magic….My hats off to all of you.”
In his work as City Manager for Sulphur Springs he gained support from the City Council and the community in order to pass a $7 million TIRZ district, and then bonded the funds so that the infrastructure could be rebuilt over a four-year period.
To see what the Texas Downtown Association used to make their determination, just take a stroll through downtown Sulphur Springs over the upcoming holidays – hear the beautiful music, see the lights and enjoy the atmosphere capturing the true spirit – the magic – of the Celebration City.
This award is the highest award an individual can receive from the Texas Downtown Association.
