New Precinct 3 Commissioner’s office overcomes obstacles, hits the ground running

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The new year commenced with several oaths of office being sworn, including that for the office of Montgomery County Commissioner Precinct 3. Former Shenandoah mayor Ritch Wheeler defeated incumbent James Noack in the November election.

Since his victory was announced on that early November Wednesday morning, Wheeler has found himself assuming the mantle even long before he officially took office. At the groundbreaking ceremony late last year for the new Timber Lakes/Timber Ridge Volunteer Fire Department station, for instance, Wheeler found himself as the closest thing to an elected official in attendance and was asked to make some impromptu remarks, even though he had just originally attended as a spectator.

He also started an early reach-out to the community with a meet-and-greet at Community Fieldhouse, where several members of his constituency attended to listen to his plans for the precinct’s future.

Getting his staff together, Wheeler went for an experienced team strong in their fields. Ronda Trow was hired as his Director of Public Affairs. Trow has extensive knowledge of the field and this area, having previously been Senior Public Relations and Communications Specialist for the Harris - Galveston Subsidence District, Public Relations Communications Manager for the San Jacinto River Authority, Director, Community and Government Affairs for The Howard Hughes Corporation, and owner of TROW Communications, LLC.

Wheeler also inspired Matt Beasley, who had previously been on the previous commissioner’s staff before spending several years as Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace, to return to the Commissioner’s Office as Chief of Staff. Beasley’s resignation as JP prompted Commissioners Court, with Wheeler for the first time in this capacity, to appoint Jay Mac Sanders as the interim justice of the peace to serve out his term.

Wheeler begins his term in many ways with a tabula rasa, a blank slate. The physical offices are in need of refurbishment and upgrades, and the longtime official website, precinct3.org, was removed from service. Wheeler and his staff are spending the early days of their administration getting a new website up and running from scratch. The site, www.mctxpct3.org, is expected to go live within the next week. The new site, along with newly crafted social media pages, will allow Precinct 3 residents to once again be kept up to date on local events and issues, receive emergency alerts, and place work orders for precinct crews.

Despite the obstacles the new staff has encountered, they are surging ahead with a purpose.

“Our focus is to move forward and make positive changes in Precinct 3. We want to be available for and transparent to the people in our precinct, with open doors and a dedicated staff that has already hit the ground running,” Trow told Woodlands Online.