Where are they now: Evans soars with big names in Texas city

 

Kevin Evans left Maricopa nearly a decade ago to return to his home state of Texas.

The city manager here from January 2008 to January 2011, he moved to take the city manager position in McGregor, a city of about 5,200 about 15 miles southwest of Waco. He’s in his 10th year on the job and loving it.

“It’s been the best time of my 44-year career,” said Evans, the grandfather of seven grandsons and one granddaughter. “I don’t plan on leaving.”

Job One for Evans is finding tenants to complete an 8,000-plus-acre industrial park in the city. SpaceX, the aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company founded by Elon Musk, leases half of the industrial park for a rocket development facility.

“They are exceptionally amazing partners in business and the community,” Evans said.

He said he works with many fantastic employers in town – Ferguson Enterprises plumbing supply, Derksen Portable Buildings and the Texas Forest Service, among them – but more people will know another company with an international reputation.

Magnolia, the home design and décor company founded by Chip and Joanna Gaines, operates a vacation rental home (sleeps eight, $795 or more a night) in McGregor, about midway on Evans’ two-block walk from home to office.

“We’ve got a lot of really neat stuff here,” he said.

And while he won’t be coming back to his former Arizona city, he enjoyed hearing about the opening of the overpass and lots of development plans.

“I think Maricopa’s got a great future,” he said.

---

This story appears in the August issue of InMaricopa.