The Mayor by Samantha Emerson

For most people involved in politics, their campaign for a government position has been a major part of their life plan. For Roger Van Horn, like several of his other major life decisions, campaigning for mayor was something that just spontaneously came to him.
Roger Van Horn has been serving as Nacogdoches’ mayor since May of 2007, this year being his third term. But unlike most big city politicians, Van Horn does not receive a paycheck for his time. Instead, he dedicates most of his time to his family dentistry practice, “This position came at a good time. I work three to four hours a day as mayor, and all Friday,” he said.
The city of Nacogdoches also runs their government much differently from other cities like Houston and Beaumont; Rather than running a “strong mayor government,” Nacogdoches relies on a “strong manager commission government.” In Nacogdoches’ case, the mayor doesn’t operate the town, but is the chairman of the city commission, with all different commissioners taking care of different aspects of the city government.
As Van Horn begins to explain his journey from his beginnings in Tulsa, Oklahoma to the position of Nacogdoches mayor, I can’t help but notice how cordial and inviting he is. He is genuine and casual, and throughout our talk he stops several times to scratch his head or take off his glasses, making him more relatable then I would expect any mayor to be.
When asked about his life up until his candidacy as Nacogdoches’ mayor, he stayed humble about his life’s achievements. For example, he didn’t always dream of being a dentist. “I knew I wanted to work for myself, I knew I liked science, I knew my grades wouldn’t get me into medical school,” Van Horn said. In his junior year of college he interviewed for a dental school on a spur of the moment decision and was accepted. He said he never regretted his decision to become a dentist but he has had struggles with his practice that only led him to one conclusion. He said, “I found out it wasn’t the profession that was the problem, it was the dentist that was the problem. I was too wrapped up in money.”
So If Roger Van Horn grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, dedicated his life to dentistry, and spent time during the Vietnam Era in Germany, how did he end up as the mayor of Nacogdoches, Texas? For Van Horn, the decision was as simple. Roger decided he wanted to open up a practice in a college town that had less than 50,000 students and was located between Kansas City, Missouri and Houston. All it took was a brief stay in Nacogdoches and an invite to a Sunday school party to convince him that Nacogdoches would be the new home to his family. Some time later, after serving as the President of Jaycees and on the chamber of commerce, he thought that maybe mayor would be a good spot for him. “It’s just where I like to serve. It’s a gift I’ve been given I suspect,” he said.
He explained that being the mayor of a small town can be equally as frustrating as governing a much larger area like Houston. With the small budget that Nacogdoches is provided, it is difficult to finance and finish city projects. “In Nacogdoches it is so hard to get closure. It’s frustrating, but the process should be slow and tedious,” he said. He then explained the extent of the city’s budget and many of the personal issues he has to put aside in order to make decisions best suited for the city.
Initially, Roger Van Horn doesn’t fit the stereotype of a big time mayor, but as we talk, I realize that no one is better suited for the position than he is. In Nacogdoches people aren’t afraid to approach him their concerns, no matter how trivial they may be. “In Kroger people stop me all the time to ask me about a pot hole or take something out of their mouth for me to check,” he laughed. Not only can he fix Nacogdoches sidewalks and that cavity that’s bothering you, he does it with an attitude that commands attention. No matter what he is doing, he does everything with genuine concern for the people around him. And he loves doing what he does. When asked what his future plans are, he explained with a smile, “I will be engaged, doing something. I want to serve.”