Wilkins takes helm as Katy's finance director

"Katy is a real interesting place," she said. "I had an impression when I was going into my interview that it was a small town, but oh my gosh, this place is huge. You have that small-town feel in old Katy, but you cross I-10 and you're in a different world. It's a big city.

"It's like the best of both worlds," Wilkins said.

Wilkins grew up in Whitney, a town of about 2,000 between Waco and Dallas, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in business from the University of Texas at Arlington.

After graduating from college, she worked for Dallas Area Rapid Transit and later joined Dallas County in human resources, then as district clerk. After more than 10 years in the Metroplex, she decided to head back to her roots near her hometown and run for treasurer of Hill County, a seat she won in 2002.

Her next, and current, job came from a recommendation of a friend who grew up in Katy. Wilkins said she is excited about her new community.

"It's an interesting mix of commercial and residential, and I think that's the way to go so you don't burden your homeowners with high taxes," she said. "Everything is geared to make it a wonderful place for a home, and it's encouraging to see both the residential and commercial side growing so much."