Kelly Violette

What we talked about

Economic development beyond recruitment

The Tomball Economic Development Corporation exists to strengthen the local economy. Violette describes recruitment as only one part of that mission. The organization also helps existing companies expand, connects employers with workforce resources, supports small businesses and invests with the city in infrastructure and redevelopment.

The standard is broad community benefit: quality jobs and investment that create opportunity for current residents, businesses and the next generation—not simply a tally of company announcements.

Why Tomball became home

Hooks Airport first brought Violette's family to Texas in 2006. As they explored the Houston region, Tomball offered a compelling balance: access to metropolitan amenities and a smaller community with a distinct identity.

People know their neighbors, support local businesses and gather for community events. That connected quality attracted her personally and later became central to how she explains Tomball to families and businesses considering the same move.

Tomball Legacy Square and the value of a gathering place

Tomball Legacy Square will transform the former First Baptist Church property downtown into a destination for arts, culture, entertainment and community. The plan preserves historic buildings while giving residents and visitors a reason to spend more time in the district.

Violette sees the project as placemaking and economic infrastructure at the same time. A strong gathering place can increase activity for nearby businesses while protecting a piece of the city's story and creating a legacy for the generation that follows.

Longevity is built on trust

Economic-development professionals often move between communities, but Violette has spent roughly two decades in and around Tomball. Her assistant director has similarly long tenure. That consistency lets the team strengthen relationships instead of constantly rebuilding them.

Confidential projects and consequential public investments require trust. The community has to believe that its economic-development organization will follow through. In a connected city where people know one another, a promise kept—or broken—travels quickly.

When the job becomes a mission

Violette links longevity to affection for the place itself. When people love a community, build relationships and see the impact of their work, economic development stops feeling like a conventional schedule.

Every project affects places where the team shops, gathers and participates. The work becomes part of daily life, and decisions are grounded in the community's long-term vision rather than a detached recruitment target.

From 12 internships to 89

Tomball's Summer Youth Employment Program began as a pilot with about 12 interns. Three years later, local businesses offered 89 internship opportunities to high-school and college students, including students returning home from institutions outside the community.

The growth depended on relationships with employers, school districts and the local community college. Businesses gain an early connection to future talent; students discover career paths and companies operating in their own hometown.

Career discovery includes finding the wrong fit

A meaningful internship can lead directly into a career. Some Tomball employers have retained interns or invited them back for second and third years. That continuity shows the program beginning to produce the local workforce pipeline it was built to support.

Violette also counts a changed mind as a successful outcome. Discovering at 16 or 20 that a field is not the right fit can save years of education expense and frustration. Real work experience replaces an abstract career idea with useful evidence.

Helping small businesses stretch each dollar

The Business Improvement Grant supports façade, property, landscaping and related improvements, particularly for older buildings and smaller businesses downtown. Eligible companies can receive up to $30,000 per fiscal year through a matching structure.

The program has operated for roughly 15 years and helps private dollars accomplish more. The resulting improvements make individual businesses stronger, improve the district's appearance and keep investment circulating through the community.

Growth with identity intact

Tomball's attraction comes from a combination of access, economic opportunity and local character. Violette's projects aim to ensure that growth reinforces that identity instead of flattening it.

Legacy Square, workforce internships and business-improvement grants look different on paper, but they serve the same strategy: give people reasons to build careers, invest, gather and remain connected in Tomball.