Woodlands leader aims to bridge divide within board
Ed Robb moved to The Woodlands before the town had much more than houses and trees, lots of trees. “There was a sign for the site of the future Woodlands Mall,” he said. “And I’m thinking, can we just get a grocery store?”
Nearly 40 years later, this formerly far-flung suburb has become a proud, telegenic city of some 110,000 residents, with a mall and 14 grocery stores, sprawling estates and high-rise condos, a Ferrari dealership and headquarters for Fortune 500 companies.
“People ask, could you see this happening?” said Robb, who arrived in 1978 to start The Woodlands United Methodist Church. “But how could you? That was hard to believe.
“It’s a joy to see this community develop. I love The Woodlands. But the growth also comes with some turbulence. It has shaken us a bit.”
The context here was the recent decision by The Woodlands’ governing board to elevate Robb to chairman, a position akin to mayor. The township’s tremendous growth has created a political split among residents, and it has become the minister’s job to be the conciliator for a deeply divided board.
It won’t be easy. That was made clear by the 4-3 vote Wednesday on the chairmanship, which opened when Bruce Tough lost his at-large seat in the Nov. 3 election to political newcomer Laura Fillault. ‘A new direction’
Her victory was in some ways a referendum on the political establishment that has dominated the township for years, said John McMullan, who won a second term in the election and who backed outspoken businessman Gordy Bunch for chairman.
“It’s disappointing that four members of the board chose to defy the clear message sent by voters on Election Day,” McMullan said. “It’s time for a new direction.”
But board member Mike Bass said Robb, 65, who has been on the board since 2010, is an easy-does-it diplomat — always cordial — which makes him the right person for the job.
“He has a track record of pulling people together,” Bass said of Robb. “I think our board needs that right now. It’s not a matter of agreeing all the time. It’s a matter of disagreeing in a way that doesn’t become personal or divisive.”
Robb said his primary responsibility will be to “lower the temperature” on the board after a race for three at-large seats that involved competing slates for the first time. While not on the ballot, he disliked the campaign’s heated rhetoric, which included accusations of corporate cronyism, shadiness and favors to developers at the expense of residents.
“It’s easy to draw lines,” Robb said. “And it’s easier to perceive someone as the enemy when you don’t know them. We need to talk and get to know each other instead of talking about each other.”
Robb said he also has been accused of rolling over for developers. “I don’t side with developers over residents,” he said. “I’m a resident, too.” The public servant
A West Texas native, Robb was 27 when he and his wife, Beverley, moved to The Woodlands at the request of a bishop to found the community’s first Methodist church. The first services were held in an information center for prospective homebuyers.
The church moved into a permanent building two years later. But it outgrew the facility and moved to its current location in the town’s distinctly urban core, near a Whole Foods and a high-rise where twobedroom units rent for up to $3,000 per month. The church’s membership rolls now include more than 12,000 people.
Even with a growing church, Robb decided to become involved in local government. His interest is public service, not politics or higher office, he said.
And that’s why the new divide within the suburb is perplexing to him. Robb lamented the campaign by the Texas Patriots PAC, a local tea party group, against Tough because his years of “philanthropy and service” seemed “to have no value.”
If anyone can ease the tension, it’s Robb, said Barbara Cargill, who is a member of the State Board of Education and attends The Woodlands United Methodist Church.
“Ed is a huge believer in the gifts and talents that God has given each person,” Cargill said. “He will respectfully listen to all board members and to the public for their input.” Staff writer Bridget Balch contributed to this report.