Tana Ross

"I may see things that other people don't because I can see what it's going to be [in the future]," Ross said.

Ross serves as the initial point of contact with retailers and small-business owners, lending assistance to residential developers looking to build in Magnolia. Ross said she also conducts retention visits to determine how local businesses can better benefit from city services.

Barry Tate, a financial adviser and former Magnolia chamber president, said it is evident that Ross has a passion for the city's economic well-being.

"She really has a heart for the businesses in Magnolia," Tate said. "She's really trying to help the Magnolia area grow and prosper."

"She really has a heart for the businesses in Magnolia. She's really trying to help the Magnolia area grow and prosper." —Barry Tate, a financial adviser and former Magnolia chamber president

Prior to joining the city of Magnolia, Ross studied at the Hilton School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston before writing and editing for two small community newspapers in Columbus, Texas. Ross was driven to pursue an economic development career from her experience covering local government and interest in entrepreneurs and business.

"My strong suit was that I knew how to do city hall, police and school reporting," Ross said. "I just went to the other side of the desk."

As a Houston native, Ross said she feels a responsibility to help maintain the quality of life that first attracted her to Magnolia.

"I have seen Magnolia grow to where the leaders are moving in the same direction together," Ross said. "These people have their feet very firmly planted in their roots, and they know where they've come from."

Tasks such as helping local business Walker's Catering and Events find a location after a seven-month search and fast-tracking the opening of Magnolia Urgent Care are a regular part of her job. Ross is also helping lead the charge to promote an eight-week health initiative this spring called Live Well Magnolia at Unity Park on Saturday mornings from 9–10 a.m. beginning the first week of March.

The program is part of a larger vision to maintain Magnolia's status as a welcoming city to live in, she said.

"There's a saying that goes, 'Without community development, there's never economic development,'" Ross said. "I think everyone, whether they have an idea or whether they have a complaint, need[s] to have a voice, and for that voice [to be heard], they need an ear."