As of Aug. 16, new Odessa City Manager John Beckmeyer has had a full week on the job under his belt, a job which he believes requires him to see beyond himself. Beckmeyer says that he's committed to steering Odessa toward a brighter future.
“Whenever you enter into a leadership position, it’s not about you anymore,” Beckmeyer, whom the city hired earlier in the summer, said in an Aug. 16 Facebook video. “It’s about the team, and it’s about the citizens.”
KOSA Channel 7 reports that Beckmeyer, who used to serve as Texas Republican Party director, has been spending his first few days in office introducing himself to his new team members. Though Beckmeyer spent time away from his native West Texas, the station reports, the region always felt like home to him so his new role was seemingly a full circle moment.
“Why Odessa? Odessa is a great town,” Beckmeyer said, KOSA reported. “It’s a city and it has so many possibilities. I believe I can help it succeed.”
Per KOSA, Beckmeyer said his résumé includes various leadership positions he asserts qualify him as the right person for his position. KOSA reports 861 of those team members will work with Beckmeyer, who emerged out of a field of 50 applicants to be voted unanimously for the job by the city council in June. In July, Councilmembers voted to enter into a $238,000 contract with him, according to the station.
In the Facebook video, Beckmeyer said that he’ll look to the city council for guidance, adding that it’s his goal to steer Odessa toward a brighter future. “That sounds cliché, but it’s a place to start,” he said.
According to his LinkedIn page, Beckmeyer is a 1989 graduate of Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in Huntsville with a bachelor’s degree in animal science and holds an associate’s degree from Western Texas College (WTC).