'High expectations': Celina City Manager Robert Ranc outlines priorities as he enters new role

Celina Record
By Audrey Henvey | Star Local Media
January 10, 2024

A few days before taking the helm as the new head of Celina’s city staff, Robert Ranc got a chance to meet with local small business owners.

It was a moment that stood out to him days later.

“Just the way the people care about the community and the pride that people have in the community and the buy-in people have in the community…it really stands out,” he said.

Ranc has a couple of reasons for making the move from Dublin, Ohio to Celina, Texas.

“I think first and foremost it’s a great city,” he said, “very warm and welcoming city, and I have a family, and it’s a great place to have a family. But then it’s also an opportunity that’s pretty rare, to be kind of on the ground floor of a city that’s growing the way it’s growing. It’s not dreaming about growth, the growth is here, but at the same time it’s still in its infancy of what it’s going to become.”

On Monday, Jan. 8, Ranc began his role as Celina’s newest city manager. The move comes after the city underwent a national search for a city manager following the resignation of previous city manager Jason Laumer. The city hired executive search firm Affion Public to conduct the search. The search yielded 107 highly-qualified candidates and three finalists. The other two finalists were Karla Stovall, assistant city manager with the city of Celina, and Eric Strong, deputy city manager in Allen.

Ranc previously served as deputy city manager in Dublin, Ohio and had served in Burleson, Texas before that. Beforehand, Ranc served in the United States Air Force as a Persian-Farsi linguist.

For Ranc, going into public service was a natural extension of his experiences growing up.

“I loved the town that I grew up in,” Ranc said. “I grew up in a city called Rocky River, it’s a great place to live and grow up, and my love for the city there translated kind of into my interest for serving in public service.”

Looking ahead, Celina’s growth is top of mind as the city’s newest leader moves into his role.

“So much of what we do is based around growth,” he said. “And not just growth for the sake of growth, but how do we grow and keep … kind of that small town feel and the traditions and the values that make Celina so wonderful?”

Part of that involves sticking to the city’s comprehensive plan, Ranc said.

“My role is to give the city council, the elected representatives, the best information that we can, the best recommendations that we can, to help them make the decisions as the elected officials, that’s going to drive the city forward,” Ranc said, ‘because ultimately, we’re hoping to facilitate a democracy.”

Part of managing that growth includes working with elected officials to make sure the city has a defined vision for its future, Ranc said. It also includes communicating with the community and letting their voices be heard.

“And so making sure that we have constant community outreach, that we’re having an opportunity for people to come and give their opinion,” he said, “whether that’s a council meeting or a planning and zoning or individual projects, making sure that that exists, that way people at the very least can have a voice in what’s happening in their community.”

Ranc describes his leadership style first and foremost as having “high, high expectations.”

“We’re going to be an incredibly professional organization,” Ranc said. “We’re going to try to attract the best and the brightest, retain the best and the brightest, because with a city that has this much going on, everyone needs to be on their A-game. It’s not something any one person can run.”

However, he adds, being inclusive is also important.

“I want to make sure that we’re able to facilitate that open environment where people aren’t afraid to speak up and say what’s on their mind and what they’re thinking,” he said, “but then we’re also going to really relentlessly move forward when a decision is made or when we get a directive by the city council, we are going to make that happen.”

For now, Ranc’s focus is on the 90-day plan that he presented to city officials during the interview process. It’s a plan that includes meeting with each Celina City Council member individually, as well as meeting with executive staff. Future plans also include meeting with the rest of the staff and with the community.

In the short term, Ranc said his priority is making sure that city staff have the resources they need.

“We have a staff in a lot of modulars and kind of all over the place, and as you grow, it can be very difficult to keep up with the demand on services,” Ranc said. “And so from a short-term perspective, it’s making sure our staff have the resources — whether it’s training, whether it’s equipment, what have you, to make sure that we’re able to provide the service that we want to provide as we continue to execute a long-term vision for what we’re going to become.”