The event, held at Christ Fellowship Church, included a panel discussion with McKinney Mayor George Fuller, City Manager Paul Grimes, McKinney ISD Superintendent Rick McDaniel and Collin College District President Neil Matkin. Other city and government leaders were in attendance at the annual McKinney Chamber of Commerce event, including members of the City Council and State Sen. Angela Paxton. The panel covered topics related to education, local development efforts and upcoming city projects.
During the panel discussion, Fuller spoke about upcoming and recent commercial projects, including Independent Financial’s headquarters campus at Craig Ranch Corporate Center, Raytheon’s upcoming 400,000-square-foot expansion and expansions at Encore Wire Corporation. He also mentioned the upcoming commercial developments at McKinney’s District 121, including Mi Cocina, Bob’s Steak and Chop House, and Black Rabbit Social.
“We have a tremendous amount of growth ... lots of dirt moving in the city of McKinney, and it's an exciting time for us,” Fuller said.
Grimes noted city efforts toward affordable and workforce housing projects, McKinney National Airport initiatives and east side redevelopment projects, including the new city hall and the potential deck park project. McDaniel spoke about teacher and staff retention, noting that McKinney has had lower turnover rates than many surrounding districts and recently raised teacher’s salaries. He also spoke about the district’s efforts regarding student and campus safety.
“I've been saying this for years: Safety and security of the students in McKinney ISD has been our No. 1 priority. It will continue to be our No. 1 priority forever,” McDaniel said.
Matkin spoke about Collin College’s growth efforts during the pandemic, including the launch of iCollin, Collin College’s virtual campus. Matkin noted it is now the largest Collin College campus, with 14,000 of the college’s 60,000 students attending online. Other highlights included remarks about the growth of Collin College's five baccalaureate programs and the potential for future Collin College aviation programs to be centered at McKinney National Airport.
“We're very excited to be able to support the area. These are degrees that are going nowhere; these are degrees that are going to stay and help the city and the county grow,” Matkin said.
