Photo by Frank Rodasky

Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan with new public works director David Esquivel.

Tomball City Council swore in David Esquivel as the new director of public works during the Jan. 5 meeting.

"Automation and use of technology [are] going to be a priority," Esquivel said. "It's a little too early to say what some of the goals are. [The city of Tomball] has a very good staff, so we'll build off of that."

As the new director of public works, Esquivel will be tasked with overseeing the city's water, sewer and gas services, as well as city streets and fleet maintenance. In the pool of 60 applicants, Esquivel easily separated himself from the crowd, Tomball Assistant City Manager Rob Hauck said.

"In this case, there was an overwhelming standout," Hauck said. "David Esquivel clearly rose to the top."

Hauck said Esquivel's professional references all spoke highly of him, calling him trustworthy, a team player and someone who cares about his employees and community.

Esquivel earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Texas Tech University. Previously, he worked for 10 years with the city of Cleburne in the Dallas area serving in the roles of city engineer, public works director and assistant city manager.

Esquivel replaces previous director of public works David Kaufman and will begin his new position with the city of Tomball Jan. 12. He said there were many factors that encouraged his family to move to Tomball, including the school district and community events.

"Professionally, it's a very progressive and growing city," Esquivel said. "Where the city was going, it just made it very attractive for us."