As Sherman continues to see historic development on the horizon, one of the leaders who oversaw the city’s recent growth is preparing for life after city government. Outgoing Mayor David Plyler recently spoke on his nearly decade-long tenure in the city’s highest seat and the changes the community has seen in that time.
Plyler was first elected as Mayor in 2015 and has remained mayor since through three terms. However, he has reached his term limit and will be succeeded by Shawn Teamann, who was unopposed in his mayoral bid.
“If you’ve been here for nine years, you’ve been here with me the whole time,” Plyler said on Tuesday.
Like many past members of the city council, Plyler got his start in local government over a decade ago when he was appointed to the city’s planning and zoning commission to replace Willie Steele, who was stepping down in order to join the city council.
Plyler said he had ambitions to join P&Z because it fit his background in managing his family’s construction business. However, the new role gave him further insight into the whole process from the city’s side and allowed him more experience in city operations.
“I really wanted to be on planning and zoning because I dealt with so much of the building codes and that sort of thing, being a builder here in the city,” he said. “I thought it was a good way to serve the community and that the same time learn about how the city operates and get familiar with the codes and ordinances and things the commission deals with.”
Plyler made the transition to the city council itself in 2011 when he was elected to replace Chip Adami, who had reached the end of his term limit. Plyler would be reelected to the council in 2014, but this term was cut short when he successfully ran for mayor a year later in 2015.
Plyler said he made the decision to run for mayor following a conversation with then Mayor Cary Wacker, who did not seek reelection.
Plyler’s time on the city council also saw several other figures who would play a role in Sherman’s recent growth. City Manager Robby Hefton had just risen into his current role and the two worked together in guiding the development of the city.
“We really didn’t have any clue that our industrial parks would take off the way they have back then,” Plyler said. “We wanted to do small things to improve the citizens’ experience in the city of Sherman.”
These efforts included a focus on quality of life and amenities in Sherman. During Plyler’s tenure, the library saw improvements, among other projects.
However, the amenity that has been tied the closest to Plyler’s leadership is the annual Hot Summer Nights concert series, which saw renewed funding and a focus on bringing big-name bands and performers to Sherman.
“It has been a special interest of mine and focus to be able to offer to our citizens the concert series that is unlike anything else in the state of Texas,” Plyler said.
Alongside Plyler, Tourism Manager Sarah McRae has helped lead the annual concert series that has brought performers like the Beach Boys, Scott Stapp and others to Kidd-Key Park.
“It really was by accident that she was in the city manager’s office when I was there,” he said. “We started talking about Hot Summer Nights, and we found some budget money and got some sponsors. We thought with these things we could do some bid name bands. We put that together, and she works really hard with a very small budget.”
Despite this focus on amenities, one of the biggest changes to the city’s landscape during Plyler’s tenure came in 2021 when Texas Instruments announced it would build a new $30 billion semiconductor production site in Sherman.
Looking back, Plyler said he always felt Sherman had the potential to grow, but he never anticipated it would develop in the way it has.
“I knew Sherman had potential in our industrial parks,” he said. We always got great, great partners out there with Tyson, Emerson, SunnyD — just a core group of industries.”
Since then Sherman has seen continued development and other high-tech manufacturers have announced plans to build in Sherman, leading to the region’s inclusion as a tech hub.
“We thought that we would add to the park as time went by, but we had no idea that the events would unfold the way they did and we would have the opportunity to compete with, Singapore, South Korea, or Ohio or anybody else for these kinds of facilities,” he said. “Here we are, having not only competed but we actually won these projects based on the strength of our team and the qualities of our industrial park and local labor sources, and the biggest thing: water.”
Despite these successes, Plyler said there is one project that has evaded him during his tenure. For many years, the city has worked to recruit another grocery store that would serve portions of south Sherman. While one appears to be on the horizon, it will be the job of the next mayor to announce it, he said.
“There is one project that is coming, and we kind of kicked around at the mayor’s roundtable that a major grocer has signed a contract in the city of Sherman,” he said. “We are not able to reveal their name yet. I am going out knowing a grocer is coming.
“Having something that I just can’t reveal the name of bothers me a bit because I think announcing something like that would put a bow on my last term as mayor. Now, that will be for somebody else to do.”
Following the November election, Plyler said he plans to take some time off from politics and will focus on the construction business. However, he did not rule out an eventual return some time in the future.
