FAIRFIELD CITY ADMINISTRATOR Jeff Looney prepares paperwork for Elizabeth Thornton to sign on as community development director, a new municipal post. A contract was officially signed last week making Elizabeth Thornton the City of Fairfield’s first community development director.

A starting date, however, has not yet been nailed down.

Approval to offer Mrs. Thornton a contract was given to city administrator Jeff Looney by Fairfield city council members at a special called meeting Jan. 20. The new hire signed her name to the contract at last week’s regular city council meeting.

Starting pay for the position is $41,600 per year.

Mrs. Thornton, who spends weekends at her home in Fairfield, has been employed with Tarrant County College in several capacities for 26 years, and with other learning institutes for 10 years before that. She earned an associates degree at Southwestern College in Oklahoma City in 1973, a bachelor of science degree from Central State University in Edmond, Okla. in 1980, and a masters degree from Oklahoma State University in 1982.

She and her husband, Jack, have been married some 26 years, have two grown children, and six grandchildren.

Mrs. Thornton is a native Texan, born in the Rio Grande Valley, the youngest of seven siblings.

She says she and her husband enjoy spending time with family watching grandchildren and great-nieces participate in sports, school activities and rodeo competitions. Some of her hobbies are listed as fishing, yoga, traveling, stained glass, reading, photography and birding.

When the new job begins, Mrs. Thornton will move to Fairfield full time, and says she is excited to be a part of the city’s expansion of the retail, entertainment and community events.

“I want to have the opportunity to connect my understanding of the challenges facing the community and my vision of the preferred future with the skills I have to contribute,” she says.

As community development director, Mrs. Thornton says she will be encouraging community improvement activities, coordinating the functions of downtown development and revitalization in cooperation with professional business organizations as well as area, state and federal agencies.

“Mayor Hill, the council, Mr. Looney and I will be working together to attract new businesses to Fairfield and Freestone county as well as strengthening existing business with a focus on growing the retail sector,” Mrs. Thornton points out. “We’ll be studying the demographics, identifying community needs, conducting market analysis and involving stakeholders.”

The new director says she hopes to bring additional activities for youth to the community and would like to engage the youth in planning the needed activities. She also notes that she will try to look at and act upon the big picture for the common good, and not the individual, and points out that she sees obstacles not as rocks, but as jewels of learning and opportunity.

“I’m glad I’ll be involved in improving the quality of life in Fairfield, I want to honor its history and traditions while opening the door to new initiatives,” she says.

“I’m anxious to bring my 36 years experience in higher education and economic development activities to the city’s team.”