Lubbock mayor honors volunteers, new TxDOT district engineer and city employees at recognition ceremony

Lubbock Mayor Mark McBurnett on Monday led a recognition ceremony at Citizens Tower that celebrated local volunteer groups, nonprofit partners and city employees while spotlighting Kalan Francis as the Texas Department of Transportation's 12th Lubbock district engineer.

McBurnett opened the event by asking the Girl Scouts color guard to present the colors and lead the Pledge of Allegiance, then thanked residents and families for community service. "It is Citizens Tower. It belongs to the people of this city," McBurnett said, framing the afternoon as a chance to honor people who serve Lubbock.

The mayor recognized the Lubbock Rotary Club for a decade of donating bicycles to Lubbock Independent School District fifth-graders with perfect attendance, saying two students from each of the district's 26 elementary schools were selected this year. He also introduced Kalan Francis as TxDOT's 12th Lubbock district engineer and said she is the first woman to hold that post; McBurnett noted Francis began with TxDOT in 2005 and earned her professional engineering license in 2011.

Jennifer Wilson, Lubbock City Councilwoman for District 5 and mayor pro tem, presented the 806 Running Girls Club on its first anniversary and praised founder Abby Espinosa for fostering an inclusive running community. "Your commitment to lifting each other up is making a very meaningful difference in the lives of women here in Lubbock," Wilson said.

The mayor also recognized Serve Lubbock, which he said was established in 2021 and provides transitional housing and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness. Civic Lubbock and other event partners were highlighted ahead of the Fourth on Broadway Independence Day celebration scheduled for July 4; McBurnett said last year's festival drew "about" 60,000 people and described the event as free and family-friendly.

Council members and other elected representatives used the ceremony to recognize nonprofit milestones and local small-event producers. Councilman George Hanna marked the 60th anniversary of Learning Incorporated, and representative David Bruegel highlighted Mo Productions' role organizing markets and festivals that showcase local talent.

The mayor honored numerous city staff for recent awards and service. Kelly Campbell, executive director of aviation at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, was recognized as a recipient of the American Association of Airport Executives' 2027 Distinguished Service Award; the mayor recited the award's eligibility criteria mentioned at the ceremony. Mike Cantu Jr. was honored for receiving the Water Environment Association of Texas Bill T. Operations Excellence Award.

McBurnett singled out the team behind the new West Texas State Veterans Cemetery for multi-year planning, fundraising and coordination with state partners, and he thanked Norm Bearden of the state's Veteran Land Board for his assistance. Several water-utilities employees were recognized for on-call responses and customer service: Jose Villanueva was praised for responding the evening of April 23 to a reported leaking fire hydrant and stopping water loss, while Alfred Plant and Christopher Leon were recognized for resolving a tap-size issue that allowed same-day meter installation. Adrian Rodriguez and Gilberto Jorge Jr. were acknowledged for assisting Lubbock Fire and Rescue on May 24 at an abandoned-building fire.

City communications and IT staff were credited with completing a months-long website redesign and training effort intended to improve public access to city information. The mayor read a list of employees who earned professional certifications in building inspection, municipal clerking and airport operations programs, and invited them forward for recognition.

The ceremony closed with a group photo and refreshments. McBurnett dismissed the gathering after thanking volunteers, staff and first responders for their service and contributions to civic events and city operations.