Reporter: Ellie Mahan
July 12, 2023
Janice Sanders officially began serving as Whitney’s mayor Thursday, May 11. She has been settling into her role, and she recently discussed the first steps she has taken as Whitney mayor with The Lakelander Newspaper.
Sanders said her favorite aspect of the position so far is the people she works with. Early on, she met with authorities at the Whitney Police Department, the Whitney Fire Department, the Whitney Housing Authority and the Public Works Department because it was important to her to introduce herself to other community leaders and get a sense of how each office operated and interacted with each other.
Sanders has been the executive director of the Lake Whitney Chamber of Commerce for five years, and she feels as though the experience and the connections she has gained while working with the chamber will help her communicate effectively with business owners, city leaders and residents.
Sanders said, “I’ve already established relationships with people and businesses in the community, and I’ve made a lot of friends through that. I’ve always been accessible to people. If people want to talk, I’ll talk. I feel like that goes hand in hand with the city. I think those relationships are already there for a lot of the businesses, and now I’ll focus on the residents.”
She plans to continue serving as the executive director of the chamber, in addition to carrying out her mayoral duties. Sanders has lived in Whitney for almost 10 years and has lived in Hill County since 1980. She has always believed in the importance of giving back to her community. Sanders served on the Covington school board for nearly 20 years, taking on various leadership positions including secretary, vice president and president.
As an FFA mom to two daughters, Sanders was actively involved with supporting school activities in Covington. She was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution for five years. She spent 15 years working at Grandview Insurance and Real Estate before moving to Whitney.
Sanders said that there are three crucial components that make a good leader: always listening to the people she works with and the people she serves, giving people the freedom to lead themselves and being willing to help and do the hard work when necessary. She said that it is important to ensure that everyone she works with feels heard and valued. “I think a real leader is not afraid to jump in the mud and get dirty. I don’t think you can just stand back; if you’re not willing to jump in the trenches, then I don’t feel like you’re a good leader. Don’t ask somebody else to do something that you’re not willing to do yourself,” Sanders said.
An effort that Sanders promised to keep top on her priority list when she ran for mayor was beautification of Whitney. She said that the city ordinance compliance officer has made strides on that front by ensuring that more land, including the area near the creek across from Whitney Veterans Memorial Park, is being cleaned up. Property owners are starting to clean up their yards and their property. Sanders is also beginning a mayor’s project of improving city parks by adding playground equipment, splash pads and pavilions.
Donors requesting to assist with city park improvements will be able to pick an item like equipment, lighting, etc. to contribute to the effort. The First Baptist Church of Whitney donated its current playground equipment to be placed at Whitney Veterans Memorial Park. Two pieces out of that playground set were built by the WISD agriculture department in the 1960s, so the park will contain a small piece of local history. There are two grant writers in place, and the City is hoping to pursue grant applications in the future, as a potential source of funding for projects.
As both the mayor and the executive director of the chamber of commerce, Sanders welcomes growth and new developments. She intends to continue to make efforts to increase the curb appeal downtown. “I think Whitney needs to be invested in Whitney. So often, people go to Waco or to Fort Worth, and Whitney has a lot to offer. We have great little shops, great little restaurants. There are great people and great businesses,” she said.
Pioneer Day Committees are already meeting and preparing for the annual festival, with individuals from The Lake Whitney Chamber of Commerce and the City of Whitney working together closely to schedule even more music entertainment for the event.
Another event that requires months of preparation, the 2024 total solar eclipse will occur Monday, April 8. Sanders reported that The City of Whitney is partnering with Lake Whitney State Park and planning to host vendors at the park.
The Lakelander 