Former mayor remains dedicated to city

Of all the people involved in the development of the City of Magnolia over the years, few have worn as many hats as Frank Parker III, president of the city's planning commission. Parker—former Magnolia mayor, City Council member and president of the 4B community development corporation—moved almost directly from one position to another since joining the City Council in 1998, and he jokingly claims the city would never let him get away.

"After I stepped down as mayor in 2004, the city came back and asked me to take over 4B," he said. "When I retired from 4B in August, they asked me to run the planning commission. I've really enjoyed living here, and I'm glad to be able to give back."

When Parker first arrived in Magnolia in 1978—transferred from the west coast by Shell, the company he was working for—the town was almost all agriculture.

"Unity Park was farmland, there were almost no trees and Decker Prairie was just that—a prairie," he said.

However, population growth in the area would soon usher in new development and the city would slowly start to evolve into what it is today. Although development in Magnolia has been guided by countless volunteers, Parker played a significant role in keeping things moving forward.

Parker has been involved with everything from renovating City Hall to improving the city's water system, but he said he is most passionate about the projects that make Magnolia a more enjoyable place to live. As president of 4B, he helped launch the Magnolia farmers and craft markets in 2009 and has done considerable work developing the downtown area known as The Stroll. He cites the renovation of a historical building on The Stroll referred to as "the yellow house" as one of his favorite projects.

"We took a relatively old house, moved it to a new location, fixed it up and turned it into a restaurant—The Montgomery County Grille," he said. "It's those sorts of things that people in Magnolia can see happening and really get excited about."

Now, as a part of the planning commission, Parker is organizing a downtown association—a group of business and property owners around The Stroll with the purpose of turning downtown Magnolia into a more attractive place through events and aesthetic enhancements.

When he is not working on city projects, Parker is running his own environmental and health consulting firm—Caliche Ltd.—which he moved to Magnolia in 1984. Everything he has done for the city has been on a volunteer basis, and he is quick to point out how crucial volunteers have been to Magnolia's development.

"I've worked in a lot of different places, and the ones that don't have volunteers doing things are the ones that are in trouble," he said. "If you just look around Magnolia and see how many people we have doing things on a volunteer basis, you can see it's absolutely critical."

Deborah Rose Miller, who has served as Magnolia's economic development coordinator since 2011, said Parker's dedication over the years has made him an invaluable asset to the city.

"What [Parker] has been able to accomplish in his time serving on the many boards and councils that he has been a part of speaks for itself," she said. "His leadership and actions will impact the City of Magnolia for generations to come."