Roger Van Horn, a dentist in Nacogdoches for over 30 years, is also serving his third term as mayor of Nacogdoches. Mayor Van Horn took some time to discuss what it is like to be the mayor in a town the size of Nacogdoches.
Mayor Van Horn began by discussing the two types of city government in Texas, a strong manager commission government and a strong mayor commission government. Nacogdoches is run by a strong manager commission government, which consists of four city commissioners and the mayor.
The mayor described his job as the chairman of the city council. “Our job is to set policies,” said Van Horn. There are five votes in the city commission and the mayor’s vote is the same as any other commissioner. In Nacogdoches the mayor’s term runs two years and the commission is set up so that every year half the members are up for election. Also, the Nacogdoches city commission members don’t receive any pay. The mayor says that this limits what he can do as mayor.
Mayor Van Horn still continues his dental practice along with being mayor. “It’s a good time in my life, my kids are raised, my bills are paid,” he said. “And so I can practice dentistry a little less.” The mayor says he spends about three to four hours a day and all day Friday playing mayor. “It’s the exact opposite of dentistry,” he said.
Van Horn talked about the slow process of government. “As a dentist I get closure 15 times a day. I see a problem, the patient agrees, I fix it, they pay,” said the mayor. “On the city council you never get anything done quick.” Van Horn believes the process to be frustrating. He also believes the slow process is an important part of government. “I am finding though, that the process may be slow, but it should be,” he said.
The city council meets every second Tuesday. Mayor Van Horn urged people to come to the meetings. He joked about how boring some of the meetings can be. “We’ve got a real yawner tonight and it will last about 20 minutes; we’re voting on some grants for sidewalks,” said Van Horn.
Mayor Van Horn seemed to be fun and laid back. He wore a black blazer with a dress shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck. He was very animated as he talked. He discussed how he came to Nacogdoches with much enthusiasm. Van Horn was born in Oklahoma. He said he knew he had wanted to move to a smaller town, just he wasn’t sure where at the time. While traveling, his family became stranded in Nacogdoches for a weekend. The locals of Nacogdoches were very friendly and open to his family. So much so, that when they left they decided that this was the home they had been looking for.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
The Mayor by Daphne Taylor
Standing behind the podium in front of the News Writing class, Mayor Roger Van Horn took his reading glasses off and put them back before starting his presentation. Currently working on his third term as mayor of Nacogdoches, Van Horn is moreover a dentist with a full-time practice.
“I’m getting better at it. I had potential, but I didn’t know how to be mayor,” said Van Horn. He rubbed his hands together as the class laughed. He let the students of Stephen F. Austin know that the job hasn’t always been easy to handle. His job as mayor is a three to four day job as well as all day Friday. Nacogdoches is operated on a strong manager commission government in which the citizens elect the city commissions. The mayor is the chairman of the City Commission.
Mayor Van Horn said that one thing he had to learn was to set his personal philosophy for the city. It’s about the process and thinking broadly about the city. “It’s so hard to get closure, it’s different and frustrating,” said Van Horn. As a dentist he can go and find the problem and instantly fix it, but as a mayor it’s more of a process.
“That’s not how I make a living. I make a living as a dentist,” said Van Horn. He’s been a dentist for 40 years and said he randomly got into that particular field. He got an interview and was offered a job.
“It’s a good time of my life,” said Van Horn. The mayor at least wants to have five terms, but if he happens to not get voted back he said he would do something. He did say that he liked teaching. The mayor will keep himself busy one way or another.
“Get involved,” said the mayor to the students. Not just on campus, but in the community. Even though Stephen F. Austin students are temporary, it’s nice to do something to benefit the current community where someone resides. The mayor said to the class that even though he’s been the mayor since 2007, he’s getting better. He stood in front of the class not as if he’s better than everyone else, but as a person who knows that mistakes will be made and nobody’s perfect.
“I’m getting better at it. I had potential, but I didn’t know how to be mayor,” said Van Horn. He rubbed his hands together as the class laughed. He let the students of Stephen F. Austin know that the job hasn’t always been easy to handle. His job as mayor is a three to four day job as well as all day Friday. Nacogdoches is operated on a strong manager commission government in which the citizens elect the city commissions. The mayor is the chairman of the City Commission.
Mayor Van Horn said that one thing he had to learn was to set his personal philosophy for the city. It’s about the process and thinking broadly about the city. “It’s so hard to get closure, it’s different and frustrating,” said Van Horn. As a dentist he can go and find the problem and instantly fix it, but as a mayor it’s more of a process.
“That’s not how I make a living. I make a living as a dentist,” said Van Horn. He’s been a dentist for 40 years and said he randomly got into that particular field. He got an interview and was offered a job.
“It’s a good time of my life,” said Van Horn. The mayor at least wants to have five terms, but if he happens to not get voted back he said he would do something. He did say that he liked teaching. The mayor will keep himself busy one way or another.
“Get involved,” said the mayor to the students. Not just on campus, but in the community. Even though Stephen F. Austin students are temporary, it’s nice to do something to benefit the current community where someone resides. The mayor said to the class that even though he’s been the mayor since 2007, he’s getting better. He stood in front of the class not as if he’s better than everyone else, but as a person who knows that mistakes will be made and nobody’s perfect.
The Mayor by Nicole Rolls
Mayor Van Horn sheds light on his life as mayor of Nacogdoches and being a local dentist. Being 65 years of age has certainly not slowed him down one bit. He is an ambitious man who likes to be productive and active in all that he does, rather than take the easy way out and retire.
Mayor Van Horn has lived in Nacogdoches for 30 years and has served three terms as Mayor. He has been a licensed dentist for 40 years and loves it. His goal is to stay in office for five terms at least, while still practicing dentistry. He said as mayor he does not get paid, so dentistry is his main source of income. Mayor Van Horn splits up his week so that he can perform at both “jobs” and give each a respectable amount of time as needed.
He says that he likes being mayor, but sometimes it can be very frustrating. It can take weeks to months for a policy to make its way into action, which Mayor Van Horn is not used to being a dentist. He likes how in dentistry he finds a problem and can fix it, giving him closure. But with politics, he said, “Government is slow, but it should be, “ and that we as the general public have to be patient and let the process run its course. The benefit of being in a small town is that one can make a difference in affecting some part of that town pretty easily, then say a big city. Mayor Van Horn said that he tries to “make decisions that are best for the whole” when it comes to councils and big decisions. He hopes that “the people are confident in the process,” and feel that they are getting a say and not being forgotten; a sort of trust process to the people.
Mayor Van Horn believes that young people should get involved now in politics where they live. Being mayor, he wishes more people would vote and be engaged in what is going on in their town. He worked his way up to the position he is in now when he was younger and has seen the benefits that have come from that. Mayor Van Horn says that he loves being mayor and is “getting better at it” all the time. Every term that he has served he gets more knowledgeable about how to be mayor and the responsibilities that come with the title. When asked what he will do when he is no longer mayor he said simply, “ I don’t know…I will do something.” He has thought about the possibility of teaching or becoming a manager at the public dental clinic as options.
Mayor Van Horn has not always lived in Nacogdoches, but continues to serve this town proudly everyday.
Mayor Van Horn has lived in Nacogdoches for 30 years and has served three terms as Mayor. He has been a licensed dentist for 40 years and loves it. His goal is to stay in office for five terms at least, while still practicing dentistry. He said as mayor he does not get paid, so dentistry is his main source of income. Mayor Van Horn splits up his week so that he can perform at both “jobs” and give each a respectable amount of time as needed.
He says that he likes being mayor, but sometimes it can be very frustrating. It can take weeks to months for a policy to make its way into action, which Mayor Van Horn is not used to being a dentist. He likes how in dentistry he finds a problem and can fix it, giving him closure. But with politics, he said, “Government is slow, but it should be, “ and that we as the general public have to be patient and let the process run its course. The benefit of being in a small town is that one can make a difference in affecting some part of that town pretty easily, then say a big city. Mayor Van Horn said that he tries to “make decisions that are best for the whole” when it comes to councils and big decisions. He hopes that “the people are confident in the process,” and feel that they are getting a say and not being forgotten; a sort of trust process to the people.
Mayor Van Horn believes that young people should get involved now in politics where they live. Being mayor, he wishes more people would vote and be engaged in what is going on in their town. He worked his way up to the position he is in now when he was younger and has seen the benefits that have come from that. Mayor Van Horn says that he loves being mayor and is “getting better at it” all the time. Every term that he has served he gets more knowledgeable about how to be mayor and the responsibilities that come with the title. When asked what he will do when he is no longer mayor he said simply, “ I don’t know…I will do something.” He has thought about the possibility of teaching or becoming a manager at the public dental clinic as options.
Mayor Van Horn has not always lived in Nacogdoches, but continues to serve this town proudly everyday.
The Mayor by Tiffany Occhiogrosso
Nacogdoches Mayor Roger Van Horn showed a humorous side during an interview on Tuesday. While describing his jobs, both mayor and dentist, he added insights into his life.
This is Van Horn’s second term as mayor. His first term he ran unopposed, and claimed he had potential during that election, but he didn’t know how to be mayor. “But I’m getting better at it,” he said with a grin on his face.
One of Van Horn’s frustrations is the strong-manager city commission government of Nacogdoches, which limits his power. His vote is the same as the other four commissioners on the city commission. It is the job of the city manager to run the city on a daily basis.
But Van Horn kept his humor about him. Describing the coming commission meeting while laughing, Van Horn said, “Don’t come tonight – it’s going to be a bore.”
Van Horn serves his civic duty by being mayor. He compared being a mayor to being a dentist: being mayor, “People aren’t afraid of you.” Another contrast is the pace – as he leaned forward to slap the podium in front of him, “In the city you never get anything done. It’s so hard to get closure.”
Yet Van Horn still has faith in the process. His hope is that people will trust the process, because politicians really are serving the best interest of their constituents.
Van Horn became a dentist by mere chance: his college roommate was interviewing for a dentist job, and Van horn decided to interview as well. Today he has a private practice in town.
Van Horn came to live in Nacogdoches by much the same means: chance. In the 1970s while he and his wife were looking for a place to live between Kansas City and Houston their car broke down in Nacogdoches. After being warmly welcome by friendly residents, they decided to move here.
Van Horn hopes to commit five terms as mayor of Nacogdoches, “If they’ll have me.”
This is Van Horn’s second term as mayor. His first term he ran unopposed, and claimed he had potential during that election, but he didn’t know how to be mayor. “But I’m getting better at it,” he said with a grin on his face.
One of Van Horn’s frustrations is the strong-manager city commission government of Nacogdoches, which limits his power. His vote is the same as the other four commissioners on the city commission. It is the job of the city manager to run the city on a daily basis.
But Van Horn kept his humor about him. Describing the coming commission meeting while laughing, Van Horn said, “Don’t come tonight – it’s going to be a bore.”
Van Horn serves his civic duty by being mayor. He compared being a mayor to being a dentist: being mayor, “People aren’t afraid of you.” Another contrast is the pace – as he leaned forward to slap the podium in front of him, “In the city you never get anything done. It’s so hard to get closure.”
Yet Van Horn still has faith in the process. His hope is that people will trust the process, because politicians really are serving the best interest of their constituents.
Van Horn became a dentist by mere chance: his college roommate was interviewing for a dentist job, and Van horn decided to interview as well. Today he has a private practice in town.
Van Horn came to live in Nacogdoches by much the same means: chance. In the 1970s while he and his wife were looking for a place to live between Kansas City and Houston their car broke down in Nacogdoches. After being warmly welcome by friendly residents, they decided to move here.
Van Horn hopes to commit five terms as mayor of Nacogdoches, “If they’ll have me.”
The Mayor by Taylor Hannum
A trip from Houston left Roger Van Horn’s car broken down on the side of the road in a town that he would one day become mayor. Roger Van Horn was born and raised in Tulsa but he always knew he wanted to live in a town with a population of 10,000 to 15,000 with a university. So he and his wife made a list of possible towns from Kansas City to Houston where he could practice his dentistry. They made the trip all the way down to Houston and then all the way back up to Kansas City when they unintentionally came upon their new home, Nacogdoches.
Van Horn has not always been Mayor Van Horn. He was first and foremost a dentist. He started his practice here in Nacogdoches almost 40 years ago and has remained here ever since. “I was rooming with a guy in Missouri who had wanted to be a dentist for a long time, for four years, he was a lot more organized than I,” said Van Horn. “And he was going out for an interview and I thought that sounds good, I might go try that. And I did, I took up my application and strangely enough I got accepted in the interview.” And at that point Van Horn made a big decision for his career choice and became a dentist.
Van Horn has been mayor of Nacogdoches since 2007 and is now serving his third term. For his second term election he did not have an opponent. “The reason I decided to be mayor is sort of an accumulation of my life in Nacogdoches with civic work. I started way back as the President of Jaycees, the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Planning Consumer Department and then ran for office as mayor,” said Van Horn as he held his glasses. He enjoys the contrast of dentistry to being the mayor. He spends a few hours Monday through Thursday and all day Friday doing mayor work.
The pace of being a mayor is completely opposite of being a dentist. Van Horn finds closure every 15 minutes at his dentist office, but he hardly finds closure with the city when he is working as mayor and finds it to be very frustrating. “I hope that by being chair of the city commission that the people have confidence in the process,” he tells people when they ask what it is like to be mayor. Van Horn believes the biggest contribution he can make to the city is by making the people trust the process of the government.
Van Horn does not actually have all the power in the city. He only counts as one out five votes when it comes to issues. Nacogdoches has a “strong manager commission government” compared to most cities in Texas that have a “strong mayor commission government”. And since Nacogdoches has that type of government, the mayor does not run the city day to day. Some would say it places the manager as the “CEO of our city.” So, Van Horn is limited to what he can do for the city. He would like the many people that come up to him at the local grocery stores to complain about something, to keep in mind that he does not have all the power and may not be able to help.
Van Horn enjoys what he does and hopes to continue being mayor for another two terms to have completed a full five terms. When asked what he plans to do after being mayor he chuckles as he responds, “Well, you know that’s a good question. I’m not sure how to answer that.” He wouldn’t mind teaching or continuing in his dentistry as a manager. But, he will find a way to serve the people no matter what will be happy doing so.
Van Horn has not always been Mayor Van Horn. He was first and foremost a dentist. He started his practice here in Nacogdoches almost 40 years ago and has remained here ever since. “I was rooming with a guy in Missouri who had wanted to be a dentist for a long time, for four years, he was a lot more organized than I,” said Van Horn. “And he was going out for an interview and I thought that sounds good, I might go try that. And I did, I took up my application and strangely enough I got accepted in the interview.” And at that point Van Horn made a big decision for his career choice and became a dentist.
Van Horn has been mayor of Nacogdoches since 2007 and is now serving his third term. For his second term election he did not have an opponent. “The reason I decided to be mayor is sort of an accumulation of my life in Nacogdoches with civic work. I started way back as the President of Jaycees, the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Planning Consumer Department and then ran for office as mayor,” said Van Horn as he held his glasses. He enjoys the contrast of dentistry to being the mayor. He spends a few hours Monday through Thursday and all day Friday doing mayor work.
The pace of being a mayor is completely opposite of being a dentist. Van Horn finds closure every 15 minutes at his dentist office, but he hardly finds closure with the city when he is working as mayor and finds it to be very frustrating. “I hope that by being chair of the city commission that the people have confidence in the process,” he tells people when they ask what it is like to be mayor. Van Horn believes the biggest contribution he can make to the city is by making the people trust the process of the government.
Van Horn does not actually have all the power in the city. He only counts as one out five votes when it comes to issues. Nacogdoches has a “strong manager commission government” compared to most cities in Texas that have a “strong mayor commission government”. And since Nacogdoches has that type of government, the mayor does not run the city day to day. Some would say it places the manager as the “CEO of our city.” So, Van Horn is limited to what he can do for the city. He would like the many people that come up to him at the local grocery stores to complain about something, to keep in mind that he does not have all the power and may not be able to help.
Van Horn enjoys what he does and hopes to continue being mayor for another two terms to have completed a full five terms. When asked what he plans to do after being mayor he chuckles as he responds, “Well, you know that’s a good question. I’m not sure how to answer that.” He wouldn’t mind teaching or continuing in his dentistry as a manager. But, he will find a way to serve the people no matter what will be happy doing so.
The Mayor by Maegan Prejean
Imagine being a dentist in the morning and running the town by noon. Roger Van Horn deals with all kinds of sticky situations day by day. Whether it’s cleaning teeth or keeping the city streets clean he’s always on the job.
Roger Van Horn is a dedicated 65-year-old citizen who spends his days getting involved in the Nacogdoches community. In the morning he performs dental work, and by noon he is mayor of a strong manager commission government setting policies and goals. He feels being mayor is a gift he has been given.
Although the mayor makes no money Van Horn doesn’t want to give up because he enjoys his job and said,” I am getting better at it all along.” The first time he ran for mayor he ran unopposed. This is his second term and he has learned that it is not always about him. “I had to learn to set aside my personal philosophy for the city,” he said. He didn’t have put an end to his personal morals, but as mayor he has learned to think about what is best for the city of Nacogdoches.
Mayor Van Horn was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He doesn’t mind the population difference in Nacogdoches though. It makes him feel good to know all of the people in his community because he knows they care about him as much as he cares about them. When he first moved to Nacogdoches he went to every ribbon cutting ceremony and tried on clothes in every men’s clothing store to meet new people. Now that he is so widely know in the city he is often approached. He said citizens usually don’t come up to him to talk about positive things. People usually want to talk about a problem they have. “In my life they either ask me about a pot hole or they’re taking something out of their mouth for me to check,” he said. He pretended to take teeth out of his mouth and the audience laughed. He feels this city is a great size because being mayor he can affect things and talk to people.
Mayor Van Horn is learning how to give his time to the community. As he stood behind the podium and held on tight he said, “Being Mayor Roger Van Horn is not about the process, it’s about thinking of more broadly what’s good for our city.” The city works together to make decisions based on what is good as a whole and will benefit the city.
After his term is up as mayor, Van Horn would like to do some service work somewhere. He likes to see students get involved in the community. Helping the community doesn’t have to be through service work. He said taking time out to coach a softball team or simply attending a city commission meeting counts as being involved. City commission meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm in downtown Nacogdoches.
Roger Van Horn is a dedicated 65-year-old citizen who spends his days getting involved in the Nacogdoches community. In the morning he performs dental work, and by noon he is mayor of a strong manager commission government setting policies and goals. He feels being mayor is a gift he has been given.
Although the mayor makes no money Van Horn doesn’t want to give up because he enjoys his job and said,” I am getting better at it all along.” The first time he ran for mayor he ran unopposed. This is his second term and he has learned that it is not always about him. “I had to learn to set aside my personal philosophy for the city,” he said. He didn’t have put an end to his personal morals, but as mayor he has learned to think about what is best for the city of Nacogdoches.
Mayor Van Horn was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He doesn’t mind the population difference in Nacogdoches though. It makes him feel good to know all of the people in his community because he knows they care about him as much as he cares about them. When he first moved to Nacogdoches he went to every ribbon cutting ceremony and tried on clothes in every men’s clothing store to meet new people. Now that he is so widely know in the city he is often approached. He said citizens usually don’t come up to him to talk about positive things. People usually want to talk about a problem they have. “In my life they either ask me about a pot hole or they’re taking something out of their mouth for me to check,” he said. He pretended to take teeth out of his mouth and the audience laughed. He feels this city is a great size because being mayor he can affect things and talk to people.
Mayor Van Horn is learning how to give his time to the community. As he stood behind the podium and held on tight he said, “Being Mayor Roger Van Horn is not about the process, it’s about thinking of more broadly what’s good for our city.” The city works together to make decisions based on what is good as a whole and will benefit the city.
After his term is up as mayor, Van Horn would like to do some service work somewhere. He likes to see students get involved in the community. Helping the community doesn’t have to be through service work. He said taking time out to coach a softball team or simply attending a city commission meeting counts as being involved. City commission meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm in downtown Nacogdoches.
The Mayor by Cameron Mebane
Roger Van Horn has been the mayor of Nacogdoches since May 2007. He has been a dentist with his own full-time practice since the 1970s.
He says that some of the biggest decisions he has made in his life were random. When he was in college in Missouri, he was unsure of what he wanted to do. His roommate was readying himself for a dentist interview and Van Horn decided to apply as well. He still has no idea why he got accepted. Later, he was looking for a small town with around 50,000 to 60,000 people with a university. On his way back north, he drove through Nacogdoches and his car broke down. The people were so kind and took care of them for three or four days. He got to know several people over those few days and realized as they were leaving Nacogdoches, that this is where he wanted to live.
As mayor, Van Horn is the chairman of a strong manager city commission. There are four other commissioners. He said, “My vote is no different from the rest of the commission. We have five votes.” This is different from other cities, such as Houston, where they have a strong mayor system of government. He spends three to four hours a day and all day Friday working as mayor. He spends most of his time as a dentist.
Going from being a dentist to being mayor, caused some frustration for Van Horn. He said, “For me, the pace of it is really frustrating. I get closure 15 times a day.” He sees a problem and fixes it right away as a dentist. He said, “The city…you never get any closure.” Also, when he runs his dentist office, he can change policy repeatedly whenever he wants to. He doesn’t have to ask anyone. Being mayor is not like that.
He encourages students to get involved by going to the city commission meetings, volunteering, and giving to the community.
Mayor Van Horn is a natural at public speaking. He never seemed nervous when speaking in front of about 25 students. He even said that he is considering becoming a teacher after his terms as mayor are over.
He says that some of the biggest decisions he has made in his life were random. When he was in college in Missouri, he was unsure of what he wanted to do. His roommate was readying himself for a dentist interview and Van Horn decided to apply as well. He still has no idea why he got accepted. Later, he was looking for a small town with around 50,000 to 60,000 people with a university. On his way back north, he drove through Nacogdoches and his car broke down. The people were so kind and took care of them for three or four days. He got to know several people over those few days and realized as they were leaving Nacogdoches, that this is where he wanted to live.
As mayor, Van Horn is the chairman of a strong manager city commission. There are four other commissioners. He said, “My vote is no different from the rest of the commission. We have five votes.” This is different from other cities, such as Houston, where they have a strong mayor system of government. He spends three to four hours a day and all day Friday working as mayor. He spends most of his time as a dentist.
Going from being a dentist to being mayor, caused some frustration for Van Horn. He said, “For me, the pace of it is really frustrating. I get closure 15 times a day.” He sees a problem and fixes it right away as a dentist. He said, “The city…you never get any closure.” Also, when he runs his dentist office, he can change policy repeatedly whenever he wants to. He doesn’t have to ask anyone. Being mayor is not like that.
He encourages students to get involved by going to the city commission meetings, volunteering, and giving to the community.
Mayor Van Horn is a natural at public speaking. He never seemed nervous when speaking in front of about 25 students. He even said that he is considering becoming a teacher after his terms as mayor are over.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)