Jessica Rogers’ job description is as broad as the possibilities for Fort Worth’s future — literally.
As the director of economic development, Rogers is tasked with ensuring that Fort Worth evolves into a home that residents are proud of.
Working with groups that shape the city’s future — businesses, chambers of commerce, schools, nonprofits and others — Rogers’ department aims to help Fort Worth compete on the national and international stage as an economic hub.
“The reality is growth happens to you, or it can happen with you,” said Rogers, who entered her role in September. “Our department is really focused on how do we make that growth match what we want Fort Worth to be?”
Such work includes tackling projects that aim to revitalize a historic Black business and cultural hub; building up the small business development program that replaced the city’s former DEI business incentives; and overseeing the city’s tax increment financing districts, or TIFs, which publicly finance improvements within a defined area.
Broadly, her department pursues job growth across the city as well as a more sustainable tax base that’s driven less by residential properties and more by businesses, according to the city’s budget planning.
Rogers described the work as the city’s contribution to the conversations that grow Fort Worth. She talks with owners of businesses — large and small — to support them, listen to them and strategize with them.
(Ella Scott-Dean | Fort Worth Report)
Cowtown’s Next Chapter is an introduction to the Fort Worth staff managing city resources, launching community-serving programs and spearheading change across the city. The series spotlights the new faces leading city initiatives and explores their visions for their roles and department priorities.
Her team is constantly working with other departments on how to meet the needs of a city with 1 million residents and counting.
Annual goals include attracting jobs with an average wage at or above the city’s median, creating 5 million square feet of new industrial space, and creating 200 new hotel rooms within a 10-minute walk of the Fort Worth Convention Center.
In Rogers’ first two months on the job, she’s focused on building relationships with stakeholders from across the city.
She’s found that Fort Worth communities and businesses want more engagement with City Hall. Figuring out what outreach and partnerships look like is top-of-mind, she said.
As she gets to know local chambers and workforce entities, “we’re working as a collective group to say, ‘Help me define what we need to be to be the best partner to all of those organizations,’” Rogers said.
Her entry into the job was well timed with the department’s work to create a new strategic plan that sets the vision for the city’s future. That plan is in the early stages, but Rogers is thankful for the opportunity to take a step back with longtime city residents and ponder the city’s future.
Rogers previously worked as an assistant city manager in Tomball, a Houston suburb with a population of about 15,000.
The child of a police officer and a teacher, Rogers felt called to a career in public service on the first day of graduate school. She turned away from her initial aspirations as an education policy student, which she felt also applied her passion for public service.
After school, Rogers worked in economic development for a variety of industries, from communications to an electric provider. She feels her resume’s breadth prepared her for her job in Fort Worth, which requires a comprehensive understanding of how the city runs.
“I’m the type of person that’s an ‘all-in’ person,” she said. “I have to feel connected to what I’m doing, and so public service and being in economic development or community-focused work is just really important to me. It makes sense to me.”
Robert Allen, President and CEO of the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership, which works closely with the city, said Rogers’ collaborative attitude already is impacting the city in good ways.
“Economic development is always a team sport. At the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership, we need a partner at the city. And that’s exactly what Jessica has been,” Allen said.
While Tomball’s small size vastly differs from Fort Worth’s, she’s found that the two cities share similar issues. At their core, both are trying to navigate fast growth.
Her experiences in the booming southeast Texas town taught her that those inside and outside of any city hall must intentionally ask: what works for the city? And what does the city have capacity for?
“From my perspective, yeah, we’re busy,” she said. “But man, life would be boring if we weren’t. We’ve got problems, but they’re good problems.”
She’s found that Fort Worth lives up to its reputation of being a big city with a “small-town feel” — a sentiment often quoted by residents and city officials. Preserving that vibe while also welcoming growth is a primary charge for her team.
“Our role is to protect what makes us special,” she said. “It’s protecting the culture. It’s protecting the communities. It’s protecting the people and the places that make Fort Worth so attractive and unique.”
“Because that’s what’s attracting people here,” Rogers added. “And if we lose that, then I don’t think we’re fulfilling that mission.”
Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601.
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