Jim Boles
Jim Boles
Written by Kathy Lesko Friday, 07 July 2006
He’s been called one of Round Rock’s founding fathers of economic development and the driving force behind the city’s successes. But Jim Boles says his involvement with the growth of Round Rock is an extreme privilege.
“How many folks do you know have the opportunity to actually ‘grow’ a city?” asks this native East-Texan.
Boles’ involvement in almost every major project the city undertook in the past two decades has earned him recognition as this month’s Community Icon.
Boles arrived in Round Rock in 1975. As regional manager for Texas Power & Light, he was charged with updating an antiquated system in a town with a population of only 2,500. He was on the company’s management fast track, and when his work was completed three years later, Boles was offered a promotion, which would have meant his eighth transfer in 10 years.
“I was married with two small children,” he recalls. “In the time I lived in Round Rock, I saw a lot of opportunity and knew it would be a good place to work and raise my family.”
He stayed and partnered with real estate mentor and friend Tom Nelson and for the next 12 years the duo shaped the real estate landscape in Round Rock and Williamson County. In 1989, Boles launched Summit Commercial Industrial Properties, Inc.
His business expertise allowed him to transcend his skills into projects that were essential and important to the city.
“No matter what we did (he credits a core group of individuals with all of the successes he’s been a part of), we always did it so that everybody was in the boat, rising at the same time,” he says.
Boles lobbied residents for support to build Round Rock Hospital and also worked with the Robinson family to select the hospital site on their land on RM 620.
As Round Rock grew, Boles knew the city would be choking in traffic, so he rallied behind a ½-cent sales tax dedicated to transportation in 1997. This enabled Round Rock to leverage and build almost $500 million worth of roads, a total amount exceeding even what Boles thought was possible.
He has advised Round Rock’s ISD in locating land for future expansion and enjoys the challenges of finding a good location to provide quality education for the city’s children. Children have always been extremely important to Boles.
He says his greatest achievement is the creation of Round Rock’s YMCA. While serving as chair of United Way, Boles urged the organization to use its overage monies to create a program for latchkey kids. Working with YMCA national, the $55,000 in seed money was raised, in part from United Way, and a portable building was erected as the city’s first facility. Today, the Round Rock YMCA operates an annual budget of $8 million and serves an average of 3,000 children a day during the school year.
“Round Rock has been really good to me,” says Boles of the city he’s been credited in helping build. “I love this town. It has a lot of pride and a lot of good people. Its heart is in the right place.”
Professional Affiliations
During the past quarter century, Jim Boles has either served on or is currently serving as president, chair or in a board position in the following organizations:
- Foreign Trade Zone of Central Texas
- Williamson County YMCA
- Greater Round Rock Community Foundation
- Opportunity Austin
- Salvation Army
- Round Rock Economic Oversite Committee
- Round Rock Transportation Committee
- Round Rock Chamber of Commerce
- United Way
- Round Rock High School Dragon Booster Club
- St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center
- CAPCO Regional Economic Development Committee
- Round Rock Little League and Pony League
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