Lloyd Matthews has spent more than 15 years working to serve and improve The Woodlands and striving to make a mark on the community.

Since moving to The Woodlands in 1998, he has served on the Indian Springs Village Association board of directors as well as The Woodlands Township board of directors, co-chaired the annual Indian Springs Taste of the Village and volunteered for several community events.

"My biggest desire has been to promote volunteering in The Woodlands since I moved in," Matthews said. "I've actually sat down with new people who've come in who haven't [lived in The Woodlands long], who didn't know what to do with their time, and gave them advice on where to go volunteer."

Matthews and his wife, Peg, have been married 53 years, and have two adult children, a son and a daughter. Peg fell ill in 2012, which prompted Matthews to cut back on his time volunteering.

"[Peg] has encouraged me over the years to do what I could," Matthews said. "We had an agreement in life when we got married that we would both have activities that were joint and separate, and that's how we have worked all of our lives."

Matthews worked for Amoco Chemical Company from 1967 through 1998. From 1984 until he retired, Matthews traveled extensively for work, which left him little time for volunteer initiatives. Retirement brought the Matthews to The Woodlands, which had not yet become a township, but rather functioned under the Community Association governance.

"When I retired one of the five objectives that I had was to try to volunteer in the community and help the community where I lived," Matthews said. "When I moved here in '98, I knew one couple in The Woodlands. I knew no one."

He dove right in, joining the association board a month after moving in.

Through his involvement in the Indian Springs Village board, Matthews became one of the two founders of the Taste of the Village food sampling event. He also served on The Woodlands Association board for 10 years and, through that, the Town Center Improvement District from 2003 until the township was formed in 2010.

When that happened, Matthews served as vice chairman of the township's board of directors.

A few causes have been important to Matthews throughout his community service career: law enforcement, economic development, mobility and resident services.

Matthews said he is happy to see that The Woodlands went from having about 12 police officers in 2000 to having about 100, and that the township is split into zones with a specific number of patroling officers.

"For a number of years, the people in the back of The Woodlands never saw a policeman," he said. "And now, I can go out in my neighborhood and see a car go through occasionally, and it's much more beneficial for us."

Matthews served as a member of the convention and visitors bureau for the township, too, working to help The Woodlands develop its economic presence. He still tries to help keep residents interested and informed about what is happening in their community by sending out newsletters two to three times a month that summarize the township's board meetings. Those newsletters feature highlighted information that Matthews said he thinks is important for residents to know.

"I think everybody has the obligation to help your community," Matthews said.