BETTER
Built
Sherman Mayor David Plyler helps to
By Sondra Barr Photography by EM Corporate construct a prosperous future for the city .
F
or the first speech he ever gave as mayor of his hometown , David Plyler looked out at a crowd during a Martin Luther King , Jr . event at Austin College and referenced the saying ,
“ A rising tide lifts all boats .”
In the ensuing years , he ’ s gone about doing just that . During his first two terms as mayor , Plyler has worked diligently toward rising the tide in Sherman . Lifting the flood gates of opportunity and growth for the city is born out of Plyler ’ s love for an area he ’ s called home since birth .
Delivered at Wilson N . Jones Regional Medical Center , Plyler grew up immersed in the nuances of Sherman life . He experienced firsthand the gracious hospitality and strong sense of community displayed by residents . Sherman ’ s annual Christmas parade serves as a cherished memory that further instilled a sense of pride , place , and identity for the civic-mind youth .
Growing up , Plyler also saw the significant role business could have on a city ’ s evolution and growth . Plyler ’ s grandfather founded Plyler Construction in Sherman in 1962 . The company would go on to build significant projects within the community and across the country .
“ The company ’ s first project was a Sherman Post Office in 1962 , which , interestingly , is now our city hall . I have an office there . That ’ s a neat tie in ,” point out Plyler . “ We built a lot of things in Sherman and then it grew from there .”
Plyler attended Sherman High School and spent his summers working for the family business before continuing his education at Texas Tech University . “ I wanted to pursue architecture . Turns out , as I went through the courses , I leaned more toward the construction side , so I ended up in the College of Engineering going through the construction management program at Tech ,” he says .
A fervent Red Raider to this day , Plyler came back to Sherman after graduation fortified with the skills necessary to take Plyler Construction to the next level . Now the president of the company , his construction experience includes a wide variety of projects , including largescale construction efforts at Southeastern Oklahoma State University , Sherman Independent School District , Austin College , and Grayson College .
Plyler ’ s foray into Sherman government started in Planning and Zoning . “ I had a friend of mine , Willie Steele , call me . Coincidentally , he ’ s one of my councilmen today . During the call , he mentioned they needed some help on P & Z . My father served on P & Z for a long time and I thought it might be something I know a bit about since I build in the city ,” says Plyler .
During his time in Planning and Zoning , Plyler gained insight and experience on the inner workings of the city and within a term and a half was appointed to city council . “ That ’ s why I ’ m able to run for another term because I didn ’ t finish two full terms as city council ,” explains Plyler . “ At the time , my friend , Cary Wacker , was mayor and I got to serve under her , which was a joy for part of that first term . Then , when it came time for her to run again , she had some other things she wanted to do and let me take it from there .”
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