Meet John Terrell, Mayor of Southlake since 2009. Serving on the city council for a decade, including a stint as Mayor Pro Tem and a resident of Southlake for 12 years, Terrell is passionate about helping the city achieve its full economic and development potential.  

The mayor resides in Southlake with his wife, Joanne and his two school age children. On the professional side, Terrell is Vice President of Commercial Development for the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, responsible for the strategic direction in developing more than 6,000 acres. His duties include management of two hotels and millions of square feet of office and industurial facilites. 

We wanted to get to know mayor Terrell a bit better and he was gracious enough to answer a few questions for us: 

Dawn Tongish: What is it that, in your opinion, makes Southlake stand out among surrounding communities?

Mayor Terrell: There is a real sense of community in Southlake.  When I stand in front of Town Hall and see the families enjoying themselves in the park, when I walk down the streets during any one of our special events in Town Square and witness the “small town” feel, it warms my heart.  I feel a part of something special.  I think many people feel the same way and that makes Southlake special.

DT: Southlake is a growing, lively community. There is much to do and thousands of people to help make decisions for. What do you do to wind down?

JT: To wind down, I enjoy going to our cabin, fly fishing, working in the yard (although not as often as I would like), shooting with my son and enjoying my daughter’s volleyball game.  Generally spending time with family and friends.

DT: What are your top three goals for the City in 2014? 

JT: Continue to improve the City’s financial condition, focus on economic development of Class A office projects along Hwy 114, finalize the 2030 Comprehensive Plan providing for a sound and sustainable long-term vision for Southlake.

DT: Who do you ask for advice?

JT: I ask everyone for advice… past and current council members, business leaders, friends, my pastor, my wife (especially my wife).  I have been blessed throughout my life to be surrounded by many experienced thought leaders and wise counselors.  I have been made better by knowing them and I believe I have made better decisions by seeking their counsel, views and opinions.

DT: What are your top three goals for the City in 2014? 

JT: Continue to improve the City’s financial condition, focus on economic development of Class A office projects along Hwy 114, finalize the 2030 Comprehensive Plan providing for a sound and sustainable long-term vision for Southlake

DT: What are you most proud of?

JT: I don’t like to use the word “proud”, that might infer that I believed some accomplishment came as a result of my efforts alone.  Many people have built the success of Southlake.  I am humbled that the citizens elected me to this leadership position and when my time in office has concluded, I will look back and feel a sense of gratification that I was allowed to play a part in the success of our City.

DT: What is the best thing a Southlake resident can do to help make the city better overall?

JT: Participate, vote, give back to the community.

DT: When you have a few minutes to drive around your city, where do you like to go?

JT: Town Square is the destination choice for my family for entertainment, shopping and having a bite to eat or a sit-down meal.  It is a great place to see everyone you know having a good time.

DT: What is your favorite movie?

JT: I enjoy many types of movies including action, suspense, comedies and even Disney.  It is impossible to pin down any one favorite movie, but The Lord of the Ring series, Bourne Identity, Sixth Sense and It's a Wonderful Life (the original) would rank among the top.

DT: How do you like to spend a lazy, Sunday afternoon?

JT: The perfect relaxing weekend would be spent with my family at our Broken Bow cabin in front of a fire having hot chocolate and telling stories.

DT: What's the last book you read?

JT: I often read a couple of books at once.  On the educational/personal improvement/ business side I just finished re-reading “Speed of Trust” by Steven Covey.  For entertainment, I just finished “Double Cross” by James Patterson and “Innocence” by Dean Koontz.   

DT: Now for the tough questions. Where’s your favorite place to grab a burger in town? Favorite place to shop?

JT: That's a really hard question.  We have quite a few excellent Burger places in Town, but I probably frequent BottleCap Alley more than most.  As for shopping, it depends on what we need, but we almost never have a reason to leave Southlake to find what we are looking for.

DT: What three words would you use to describe your bubble (Southlake)?

JT: Family, Community, Home

DT: What is the top goal on your personal bucket list for 2014?

JT: From a city perspective, seeing the Community Recreation Center come to fruition.  After spending so many years on this project, it will be gratifying to see Phase 1 begin construction this year and Phase 2 taken to the voters in 2015.

From a family perspective, spending as much time as possible creating many lasting memories with my kids before they leave for college. 

DT: What is the best thing a Southlake resident can do to improve the quality of the city? 

JT: Participate, vote, give back to the community.

DT: What do you hope will be the legacy of your time in office?

JT: I haven’t given much thought to a “legacy”.  However, I was taught by my parents that you should always leave a place in better condition than it was when you arrived…I hope that will be said about Southlake when I am no longer Mayor.  The city is now financially stronger than ever, we have improved our parks and sidewalks, additional public safety facilities have been built, major infrastructure improvements have been made, high quality development has occurred and we have begun the first phase of a Community Recreation Center, which has been one of my personal initiatives since being elected to office in 2004.