Kit Marshall — Mayor of Aledo
Kit wears several hats that complement each other, all the while
serving others. “I wear multiple hats; the foundation of each is life-
long service to others. I am the Emergency Management Officer
(EMO) with Parker County Office of Emergency Services (paying job),
Mayor of Aledo (volunteer job) and volunteer with several non-profit
organizations: East Parker County Chamber of Commerce, Careity
Foundation, Rotary Club of Aledo, to name a few,” she explained.
As the Parker County EMO, Kit engages in many aspects of emer-
gency preparedness and mitigation planning for Parker County,
including emergency operations center readiness, public education,
training and exercising the Community Emergency Response Team
(CERT) volunteers, implementing and managing the Cities Readiness
Initiative (preparing the county for a public health emergency/disas-
ter), grant writing to secure valuable resources for the county, partici-
pation on regional committees, giving public presentations, and
many other things.
“As mayor working with our council, I lead by example, communi-
cate our vision with transparency and integrity, and ensure our infra-
structure supports growth. I am proudly and proactively engaged in
city planning, economic development, meeting the needs of our citi-
zens, and working to maintain our unique ‘DNA of place,’” she said.
Most people don’t know that Kit wrote a children’s book years ago
and is now in the midst of having it illustrated, and that she loves
connecting people and helping to find the “yes.” Her favorite way
of paying it forward? “Smile a lot, say positive things about and
to people with continuous acts of kindness.” She’s a fun grandma
that considers her best day to include family or friends. “I love to
travel! My best day ever has many facets,” she said. She wants to
be remembered as someone who loved people, served passionately,
and made a positive difference wherever she went.
Noel Bryan — D.V.M.
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Noel, who earned his veterinarian medicine degree at Texas A&M, came
to Parker County in 1952 after he purchased the practice of the only
veterinarian in Parker County. He moved his practice up the street from
the Parker County Sheriff’s Posse grounds a few years later. Was it the
love of animals that inspired his choice of careers?
“No, not really,” he said. His inspiration was Dr. Ray Jay Fouchet. Who?
“I grew up on my family’s cotton farm in Richmond, Texas. My father
died in 1936 and my mother ran the farm after that. In 1943, she was
paying me 50¢ per every 100 pounds of cotton I picked. Didn’t matter
how hard I worked, I couldn’t pick more than 100 pounds a day. We
didn’t pick on Sundays.
“Our vet had a miracle drug that would cure a cow of milk fever,” Noel
recalled. “We had an old Jersey cow that came with milk fever.” She
was down, almost dead. They called their vet. He came out and gave the
Bryan’s milk cow a shot of his miracle drug.
“She rolled back on her honkers and nuzzled her calf. About 5 minutes
later the vet kicked her in the back. She got up. My mother said, ‘How
much do I owe you?’ ’$10,’ the vet said. I did the math. He worked for
us for 10 minutes. And my mother paid him $10. I was making a dollar
every two days. He inspired me to go to vet school.”
Noel has taken care of animals belonging to generations of Parker
County families, from beef cattle to work horses to beloved family pets.
“It’s been a great life,” Noel said.