In March, hundreds of Lakehills Community Center members gathered for their Annual Membership Dinner at the Community Center.
At this meeting, Community Center members completed ballots for the new leadership team members to be inducted in April.
The new volunteer leadership executives of the Lakehills Community Center were inducted at the regular April 2024 business meeting.
Both the role of President and Secretary were filled.
Assuming the role of President will be Mr. Michael “Mike” Routh.
Originally a television and film producer, Mike returned to college and earned his degree in psychology, branching out to assist others as a counselor and social worker prior to entering medical administration and compliance.
Currently, Mike serves as the Director of Compliance and Health Information Management for a drug and alcohol treatment center near Kerrville. He particularly enjoys his commute to work every day along Highway 173.
“I’ve got the world’s most beautiful commute,” he said.
He has been a resident of Lakehills since 2017 and first began as a volunteer for the Medina Lake Cajun Festival shortly after arriving to our community.
Mike assumes the role of President from Kelly Beedle, who is well-known for the advancements made during her tenure.
Among many accomplishments, the agency moved from a Civic Center to a Community Center. She took a moment to thank all the volunteers and community members who assisted her over her tenure as President.
“I am proud to have worked with so many great community members and especially thank the Board, volunteers, and all who I worked with to move the Center forward,” she said.
During her tenure, the Civic Center, originally the home of the Medina Lake Cajun Festival, transitioned to a full-service Community Center and gained outreach to the youth and older population of the area.
Programs and services expanded to the Bandera and Lakehills areas. In addition to the now-famous Medina Lake Cajun Festival, the Center hosts a variety of activities for all including karate classes, exercise classes, monthly senior citizen lunches, quilting groups, gaming, college scholarships, an annual entertainment Gala (which will be on May 18th) and much more.
Kelly will continue to serve on the Board of Directors as a Director. Mike had served previously as a Board Director and will focus on moving the Center forward in his term as President. In his mind, this includes strengthening the financial resources of the center.
“We must be vigilant stewards of our financial resources. This includes expanding opportunities for income while practicing conservative use of our funds,” he said.
He also will pursue assessing the needs of the local community by asking them what they need from the Community Center and then “carefully using our resources to fulfill those needs.”
With Kelly Beedle as President, the volunteers and members worked hard to upgrade the facility and it is Mike’s plan to continue to update the physical infrastructure to meet future growth needs.
He added, “This is a constant challenge but shows that we are an active center. It is not a terrible thing to grow! We have already begun work on a large-scale plan that will not only bring our center up to standards but will also prepare us for the years ahead in continuing to serve our community.”
Mike says he wants to bolster relationships with other community resources as well.
“There are quite a few agencies in Bandera consistently serving our community each day. It only makes sense to form relationships with those agencies and pool our resources to meet the needs of this community we all live in.”
Finally, Mike believes in practicing an open and transparent Center and wants to invite community members to visit the Center and to attend the monthly business meetings.
“I’d like to see more people attend our monthly business meetings and have a chance to voice their opinions. Every input is valuable, and every opinion is important, while at the same time our Community Center members, our community members themselves, and volunteers can see and appreciate the dedication and hard work of the LHCC Board and our volunteers.”
Joining the leadership team also will be Gracie Garza. Gracie is also a previous Board Director who volunteered to serve as Secretary. She will also serve on the Executive Committee.
After a career in banking, Gracie is now an educator with the Bandera ISD, working with our local youth at the Hill Country Elementary campus.
Lynne Randle and Linda Morris will continue to serve in their roles of Vice President and Treasurer, respectively.
To learn more about the Lakehills Community Center, see their online schedule of events, or be a volunteer, you can visit their website at www. lakehillscommunitycenter. org or visit their online Facebook page.
The Medina Lake Cajun Festival also needs hundreds of volunteers to be successful. To volunteer for the festival, call 830-460-0600
