City Manager Wes Pierson is celebrating his one-year anniversary in Frisco.
The former Addison city manager replaced George Purefoy, who retired last year after serving as Frisco’s first-ever chief executive.
Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney was on the search committee that hired Pierson, who assumed the role on August 2, 2022.
“We knew this was the biggest decision we would ever make as a council,” Cheney said in a city news release announcing Pierson’s hiring last year. “In fact, we knew it could be one of the most important decisions in the history of Frisco.”
Cheney continued:
“We promised to find a city manager who aligned with our culture, priorities, and vision for the city’s future. We’re confident and unanimous in our support for Wes Pierson stepping into the role of Frisco’s next city manager.”
Pierson appears to have fit the bill — and Purefoy’s shoes — at least so far.
In an interview with the Frisco Enterprise, Pierson reflected on his first year in the position, recalling a series of major events in the fast-growing Collin County city of 210,000.
Some significant developments that transpired under his watch include the opening of Omni PGA Frisco Resort, the approval of a Universal theme park, the Fields and Grand Park developments, and the re-imagining of downtown Frisco.
“Frisco is awesome. We get to see things from the outside, and it’s exciting to see, but to be on the inside and see everybody doing the daily work to make it happen is really impressive,” Pierson told the news outlet.
“[W]hen I arrived, I think I said that our people are what make us special. And nothing since my start has shown me anything to the contrary. In fact, it just further reinforces the point that special things are happening here because we’ve got great people in our organization, and our community is full of people that care and want to do special things,” Pierson said.
Pierson called the changes in Frisco “progress.” He claimed that the constant influx of new businesses and home construction is positive.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Frisco and several other North Texas cities have been seeing substantial investment and development, with builders preferring the high-opportunity, easy-to-develop areas outside Dallas city limits.
Part of the shift away from Dallas proper is likely due to its inefficient and lengthy development process, which has been reported on extensively by The Dallas Express.
“Sometimes when people talk about change, there can be a negative connotation related to change, but if you talk about progress, it really emphasizes, in my opinion, a focus on growth,” Pierson told the Frisco Enterprise.
Pierson said Frisco is putting its best foot forward.
“I would hope that people recognize from the organization standpoint that we are full of good people that care about the community and that we’re doing our very best to give our best so that people can see the results in their lives,” Pierson said.
“So when they go to the parks, did they have a good experience? When they’re driving on the roads, did they have a good experience? And things of that nature. So I hope people understand from an organization that we’re deeply dedicated to providing excellent service to the businesses, to the residents, to the visitors, at all times,” he added.
Pierson told the Frisco Enterprise that his two kids gave him some advice on his first day on the job a year ago. His son, now 7, told him to make friends. His daughter, now 13, told him to do his best.
“And I keep trying to do that,” Pierson said.
