As new residents, businesses and developments reshape the region, local leaders say Collin County’s future depends on connection, service and shared purpose
Collin County’s growth is easy to see. New developments, corporate campuses, parks, roads and neighborhoods continue to reshape the region. But growth alone does not create community.
That is the deeper question facing one of the fastest-growing areas in Texas: How does Collin County keep its soul as it keeps changing?
For local leaders, the answer is not found in buildings alone. It is found in service, shared spaces, civic responsibility and the people who continue to show up for one another.
The story is part of Collin County Celebrates, a countywide initiative launched by the Collin County Business Alliance in honor of their 15th anniversary and the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Service Starts With Solving Problems
For former Plano Mayor and Texas Sen. Florence Shapiro, public service has always been about solving problems.
“People used to ask me, ‘What do you do as a state senator?’ And even as a mayor or city council member, when you’re an elected official, I say, ‘I’m a problem solver,’” Shapiro says. “People bring me their problems and I try to help them find solutions.”
Shapiro’s public service began in 1979 after years of volunteer work with the Plano Service League. She later served as mayor of Plano and spent 20 years in the Texas Senate.
One of the most defining moments of her career came after the 1993 murder of 11-year-old Ashley Estelle in Plano. The tragedy led Shapiro to form a task force focused on changing sex offender laws in Texas. “We knew that we needed to make sure that this never happened again,” Shapiro says. “We changed the laws dramatically to hope and pray that it kept others from being preyed upon.”
For Shapiro, civic leadership is not abstract. It is responding when people need protection, direction and action.
Community Leadership Is A Shared Responsibility
While leaders like Shapiro work to solve problems, it is the citizens themselves who define the soul of a city. Community members make their voices heard, express their shared values and choose the architects of their future through the election process.
Electing local leaders is arguably the most critical civic activity an individual can participate in. These local officials make the daily decisions regarding the very things that define our quality of life, such as school funding, public safety, zoning and parks.
Yet, historical data shows a stark disconnect in local participation. While high-profile presidential elections draw massive crowds, voter turnout in Collin County municipal elections has remained relatively low in recent election cycles. According to election results from 2021, 2023 and 2025, turnout ranged between approximately 10% and 14%, underscoring the importance of continued civic engagement at the local level.
Shifting these trends requires an intentional, continuous effort. Recognizing that a thriving economy depends on an engaged populace, the Collin County Business Alliance launched the Collin County Votes (CCV) initiative. Non-partisan and focused on civic engagement, CCV serves as a vital resource to educate local residents, simplify the voting process and remind voters that building a community’s soul begins at the ballot box.
Photo: Visit Frisco
Growth Needs Places To Belong
As Collin County grows, Shawn Jackson, Executive Director for Kaleidoscope Park in Frisco, believes shared public spaces are essential to helping people feel connected.
“One of the most impactful projects I have seen come to life is Kaleidoscope Park itself,” Jackson says. “It is a beautiful example of what can happen when philanthropy, public-private partnership, civic leadership, art, business and community all come together around a shared vision.”
For Jackson, the park’s value is not just its design. It is what happens there: families gather, children play, artists perform, nonprofits connect with residents and businesses engage with the community in meaningful ways.
“What makes the park meaningful is not just the physical space, although it is stunning,” Jackson says. “It is what happens inside the space.” That matters in a county where thousands of new residents are looking not just for homes, but for belonging.
Turning Growth Into Community
Jackson says the most rewarding part of serving a changing community is watching people find connection. “Change can feel overwhelming, but it can also be full of possibility,” Jackson says. “The reward is helping turn growth into community.”
That may be one of Collin County’s most important civic lessons. Growth can bring opportunity, but it can also create distance if people do not intentionally build relationships across cities, neighborhoods, backgrounds and generations.
For Jackson, the shared value Collin County must preserve is simple: showing up for one another. “Vibrancy does not come only from buildings or business growth,” Jackson says. “It comes from people who are willing to participate in the life of their community.”
That idea may be one of the county’s most important lessons. Growth creates opportunity, but preserving a community’s character requires ongoing participation, investment and stewardship from the people who call it home.
But opportunity does not preserve itself. As Collin County continues to grow, future leaders will be asked to protect the qualities that made the region attractive in the first place: strong communities, civic engagement, economic opportunity and a sense of shared responsibility.
Photo: Visit Celina
Keeping The Soul Of Collin County
Collin County’s civic story is still being written. Plano is navigating redevelopment and a changing population. Frisco, McKinney, Prosper and Celina continue to grow. Across the county, leaders will have to balance economic momentum with belonging, infrastructure with identity and opportunity with shared responsibility.
The leaders who helped shape Collin County’s past understood that communities are not built by development alone. They are built by people who solve problems, create gathering places, protect one another and keep showing up.
That is how a fast-growing county keeps its soul.
About Collin County Celebrates
This story is part of Collin County Celebrates, a countywide initiative launched by the Collin County Business Alliance (CCBA) in honor of their 15th anniversary and the nation’s 250th anniversary. Established in 2011, the CCBA is composed of business leaders who believe they have a responsibility to act now to shape our vibrant community, serving as a catalyst to address key issues such as water, workforce development and mobility.
As part of the initiative, CCBA will host Milestones of America on Thursday, June 11, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will feature Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author Annette Gordon-Reed and a guided Together We Dine experience, facilitated by Project Unity, focused on conversation, shared perspectives and common ground.
The CCBA will also present the Texas Traditions event at Kaleidoscope Park on June 20, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m. The free community event will feature Texas cuisine, cold drinks, family-friendly activities, live music and a drone show.
