The Rockwall City Council has named long-time Assistant City Manager Mary Smith as the new interim City Manager. The move came on the heels of the retirement last week of former City Manager Rick Crowley. Mary Smith has served successfully in the dual role of Assistant City Manager and Director of the Finance Department since 2012.
Ms. Smith, a CPA, came to Rockwall as the Finance Director in 1998 and has overseen a lot of growth and change in more than 20 years here. She came to Texas a year before from her home state of Indiana, working for a brief time for the town of Balch Springs before taking the position in Rockwall. “We’ve made great strides over the years, working with City leaders to keep the tax rate low and help keep business vibrant in our community,” Smith said. “Our goal is to focus on our customers, the residents, and their needs. We do our best to help people and businesses become successful.”
Several City Council seats are up for reelection this year, and the Council has chosen to have Ms. Smith serve as interim City Manager until June, when the new Council is in place. “Mary was a clear choice, in our eyes, for this role,” said Rockwall Mayor Jim Pruitt. “She has so much knowledge and experience of the inner workings of the City, and her transition to the City Manager role will be a natural one.”
“I’ve watched Rockwall change quite a bit over the years—one of my first events was the ribbon cutting of Ralph Hall Parkway,” Smith said. “It’s been fun seeing the transformation from small town to a regional destination city. I’ve enjoyed the last 22 years here, and am looking forward to serving in this new capacity.”
