Laura Hill - Family is her Business

Since the birth of her first child, Maggie 20 years ago, Laura Hill has made family her business.  For the last 13 years her family business and her family life have been conducted right here in Southlake.  Now after countless hours of behind the scenes work and volunteerism she is front and center as the Southlake Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year for 2007.

When asked about her thoughts on being recognized as Southlake’s Citizen of the Year her selfless personality immediately came out.  Without hesitation she replied, “Coach Todd Dodge [Southlake’s 2006 Citizen of the Year], is a tough act to follow, he’s done a lot for the entire community.”  In fact, she is very humbled by such a public award and admits, “I have always been more comfortable working behind the scenes.”  She goes on to say, “It is incredible to have your family, your friends and your co-workers so proud of you.” 

Laura’s considerable efforts across a variety of organizations within the community have put her in close proximity to many so called “co-workers”.  Be they family or friends she has made in the course of business, she indeed has many admirers.

The Family & The Family Business,

Laura is quick to point out, “I couldn’t do what I do without the support of my family.”  Her husband of one year, Joe McSweeny, is a tremendous help with the children.  They team up together to take care of the needs of her daughter Maggie who is currently a sophomore at Texas A&M, and two sons; Preston (15) and Trent (11) who keep the family constantly busy with their favorite activities like golf and football.   

People who know Laura best, know that she is in perpetual motion yet she claims that Joe, whom she met while running for City Council, “has so much energy that he makes me look calm.”  Together they seem to be a whirlwind of activity, as above all else they are preparing a business plan to parlay Joe’s soon to be completed MBA (from SMU) into a budding DFW business.

After graduating from Randolph-Macon Women's College in 1979 Laura eventually settled down and started a family in nearby Yorktown, Virginia.  It was there where she put her degree to good use as the Food and Beverage Manager for Stouffer’s Hotels.  Laura fondly recalls having done ‘round the clock “in room catering” duty while attending to the needs for President Gerald Ford during his stay at her hotel. Little did she know it was just a small beginning to her many hours of service to her community.

Laura is the eldest child of long time Southlake residents Wallace and Margaret Downey.

Wallace established himself with a very successful career which began in 1957 with R.H. Donnelley (RHD), a highly regarded publisher of telephone directories.  By the 1980’s Downey was called on to lead RHD’s opportunities in the Southwest and during this time he developed a great desire to publish directories himself.  Just about 100 years after RH Donnelley’s publication of the industry’s first directory (1886), Wallace Downey set up his own publishing house which now stands proudly on East Southlake Boulevard.  Since it’s founding in 1987, Downey Publishing has built its business and reputation on publishing quality local telephone directories in over 30 rural markets amongst Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. 

Moving to Southlake

Armed with a solid background in business and the responsible nature that seems to reside in older siblings, Laura was recruited by her dad to join him in the family business.  So in 1995, Laura and her family re-located to Southlake where at the time she recalls the city as, “Small enough to get involved with anything if you really wanted to.”  And get involved she did.

City Council’s “Accidental Tourist”

Within what seemed to be just moments upon re-locating, Laura jumped right into community service as an “Accidental Tourist” to a city council meeting.  Receiving word the city was reviewing a zoning ordinance for .25 acre residences to be built near her home, she just had to get involved.  She promptly gathered a large group of nearby residents to attend the meeting and express their stance on the zoning proposal.  The gathering of concerned citizens proved successful and the zoning change was turned down by the city council.  It was then Laura realized she, “liked getting people together for a good cause.”

She continued with her love for local causes by rolling up her sleeves and making phone calls garnering support for Southlake’s political candidates.  Over the years, she gained more experience and some all important office space that proved to make great staging grounds for a variety of events.  With the two, she played pivotal roles in the campaigns of current city council members; Virginia Muzyka, Gregory Jones and John Terrell.

Within a few short years she built a fabulous reputation within the city’s professional and political worlds.  For this reason, Andy Wambsganss asked her to be his campaign manager for his 2003 Mayoral campaign.  Mayor Wambsganss has complete and total respect for Laura and says, “She is passionate, and the passion translates from business to family.  She always gives 110%.  As a city council member, she is tireless when it comes to helping a need in the community.  She can be counted on to help out with not just resources but also her personal time.  She is special and unique.”

Wambsganss was so impressed that when a mid-term opening arose on city council he immediately asked Laura to run for the position.  She won in a landslide and completed the abbreviated 18 month term which she called, “a good test drive.”  She followed up in 2005 by running respectfully unopposed for her first full term in Place 1 of City Council.

City Council is a very demanding volunteer job that requires a diverse set of skills.  According to Laura, “each member brings a different knowledge base and a sincere passion for the city of Southlake.”  Council members meet twice monthly (sometimes until 2:00 am) in addition to attending a wide variety of business meetings and public appearances which helps the group maintain an air of approachability.  Laura maintains, “it is a lot of work, but if you are willing to learn about the city and do your homework, it can be an extremely rewarding experience.”

A bright SPARK in a great community

As a civic minded person in Southlake, Laura Hill is not alone by any means.  She admits, “Everywhere you go in the Metroplex you will find Southlake people doing good.  It is the nature of giving that comes from within our city that is really impressive.” 

Laura, like so many of her Southlake neighbors, is involved with scores of charitable and civic organizations, but “her baby” is S.P.A.R.K. (Students and Parents Against Risks to Kids) which she helped found only a few months ago.  The goal of the organization is to help build a community forum around current problems facing both children and parents today. 

According to Laura, past programs like DARE were positive forces for the youth of our city, however as time progressed it became evident, many students and parents felt drugs and alcohol were old problems which, despite their importance were no longer hot topics of discussion. 

On the contrary, S.P.A.R.K takes the opportunity of increased interest for such new wave risks as Internet Predators and “Choking Games” and uses the momentum to create highly attended community forums centered upon information gathering and communication. 

Laura personally sees to it that S.P.A.R.K brings highly respected and knowledgeable speakers to these forums thus capitalizing on the entire event.  Recently, over 400 people gathered at the CarrollSenior High School to listen to Buddy Knight speak on “Sex, Kids and the Internet™”.  Mr. Knight’s seminar was a hit and according to Laura, “We’ve found a way to get to the parents, and give them what they are looking for.”  Attendees were shown practical steps to help them defend their homes against on-line predators and other unacceptable uses of the internet. 

In addition to creating powerful and well attended forums, S.P.A.R.K has made the most of its first months by spearheading two recently approved city ordinances focused on protecting our children.  The first ordinance is a city-wide curfew of 11pm (weeknights) and 12am (Fridays & Saturdays) for youths under the age of 17.  Of course, exceptions are made for those attending school functions or traveling to or from work.  The second ordinance passed extends the distance to 2,000 feet (double the state requirement) where a registered sex offender can live within a place where children congregate (schools, public parks and licensed day care facilities). 

The progress and accomplishments of S.P.A.R.K in such a short time are a true testaments to Laura’s abilities to get things done and to her commitment to our community.

An Angels among us

Serving as the Vice President of the non-profit Southlake Angel Society, Laura heads a local group of women who have come to the aid of families suffering from expensive medical challenges.  In 2006, the Angel Society got word that a Southlake firefighter’s young daughter was born with a great deal of medical challenges.  The baby’s health was so compromised that she required a very special and expensive formula.  The financial struggle on the single income family was just too much to bear.  Acting swiftly, the Angel Society was able to raise close to $12,000 in donations and gift cards to help the family get through this trying time. 

From the moment you meet Laura Hill you are treated like a neighbor.  With a welcoming smile and a refreshing combination of openness and humility she seems to instantaneously endear herself to almost anyone.  But there is more to her than meets the eye, she is also a strong willed businesswomen who creates organizations and fundraisers, runs the family business and sits on city council meetings, all while raising three children.  To all of the above Laura professes, “I don’t know how not to be busy.” What else would you expect from this city’s Citizen of the Year!