NONPROFIT
PEOPLE
BY CASSANDRA JENKINS
BY LIZZY SPANGLER
Doris Speer Tomball city secretary retires after 33 years
Tomball Little League Organization celebrates 50th season T omball Little League is cele- brating its 50th season with its largest group of participants
TOMBALL LITTLE LEAGUE Tomball Little League plays in East Texas District 28 and is celebrating its 50th season this year.
7 7 989
divisions elds
After 33 years as Tomball’s city secretary, Doris Speer announced her retirement Feb. 6. She was slated to retire March 1 as of press time Feb. 23. “When I got here, we had a little over 5,000 residents, maybe 2,000 registered voters,” Speer said in an interview. “Now we have over 7,000 [registered voters].” Speer said she has worked with ve mayors and seven city managers in her time in Tomball. As city secretary, Speer and her team oversee everything from public meeting agendas and elections to managing the city’s records, she said. “We provide support to the mayor and council, [and] every department, in some form or fashion, we work with—whether it’s receiving records, giving them records, providing information, [or] helping them gure out what the law is so they know what they can do and cannot do,” Speer said.
and Tomball ISDs and is co-ed with seven divisions by age group, according to the league. Tomball resident Saira Sultan’s two daughters, Zeena and Ameera, will play this season. She said she has watched the girls grow and foster a love for baseball since joining Tomball Little League. “Seeing where they are now, in terms of their sportsmanship, con - dence and skills, makes us so proud,” she said in a Facebook message. “They nished their last season so in love with the game that they’ve been practicing and counting down the days until spring.” The 12-game spring season starts March 4. “The ballpark gives a connection to our community,” Kelley said. “It’s a place where people can come and spend fantastic quality family time, and that’s really why I do what I do here.”
Following Speer’s retirement, Assistant City Secretary Tracy Garcia will take over as the new city secre- tary; she was appointed by council Feb. 20. “I’m excited, but I have tough shoes to ll,” Garcia said. “I refer to [Speer] as my aunt and Tomball’s walking encyclopedia because she has all these facts, and she is able to retain all this information.” Speer said she is planning to do some work around her house and spend time with her mother in retirement. “I am going to enjoy retirement,” Speer said. “I’ve been working since I was 15, so I think I’m just going to take it easy for a while.” Garcia said a scholarship in Speer’s honor is in the works in the Houston chapter of the Texas Municipal Clerks Association. “She’s like the lighthouse,” Garcia said of Speer. “No matter what’s
players enrolled
in history. According to Cary Kelley, vice president of administration for Tomball Little League, the spring 2023 season enrolled 989 players. The team became o cially a li- ated with Little League International in 1973, Kelley said. Despite baseball’s presence in Tomball since the early 1930s, he said the induction launched the league to a new level. “Almost every game is standing room only now, even T-ball,” he said. “The parents all come out every game and cheer for the kids.” Kelley said his two sons play in the Tomball league. Tomball Little League is part of East Texas District 28, which includes Northwest 45, Oak Ridge Woodlands Area, Conroe and Montgomery little leagues. The league is open to ages 4 to 16 who live within Klein, Cy-Fair
4 16 MARCH 4
Players ages Season begins
Mayor Lori Klein Quinn (right) recognizes Doris Speer (center) and her team Feb. 20. Tracy Garcia (second from right) replaces Speer. (Lizzy Spangler/Community Impact)
Players take part in a Feb. 13 practice for the league’s 50th season. (Photos by Cassandra Jenkins/Community Impact)
A CHANGING SEASON The city of Tomball welcomed a new city secretary as longtime City Secretary Doris Speer announced her retirement.
going on, you know where you’re going as long as you can see that light. She’ll be missed. I don’t want to get emotional, but she’ll be missed. She has been a great mentor and a friend.” City Manager David Esquivel said Speer is usually among the rst he greets every morning. “If I ever wondered, ‘How did we get to this point to have an ordinance or just a situation that has evolved?’ Nine times out of 10, if not 10 [times] out of 10, Doris can give you some kind of background on whatever it is that we’re dealing with,” he said.
Tomball Little League 725 N. Cherry St., Tomball 806-502-0001 www.tomballlittleleague.com
Doris Speer served as city secretary for
33 YEARS. MARCH 1.
Speer retired
Assistant City Secretary Tracy Garcia was appointed the new city secretary
HUFSMITH RD.
FEB. 20.
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SOURCE: CITY OF TOMBALL COMMUNITY IMPACT
TOMBALL PARKWAY 28595 Tomball Pkwy (281) 290-7810 THE WOODLANDS 10491 Kuykendahl (281) 681-9110
GOSLING ROAD SPRING 24527 Gosling Rd (281) 516-9404 SPRING STUEBNER 6603 Spring Stuebner Rd (281) 288-0239
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