Mart resident Henry Witt III, recently left the energy industry to follow his personal dream: to help strengthen local governments. His new position at MRB Group will combine his municipal service and planning talents with a strong passion for developing transformational relationships and growth.
MRB Group is an engineering, architecture and planning firm which specializes in municipal support. Located in Austin and Temple, the firm was originally based in New York, but over the last decade has become a stakeholder and partner supporting local governments and utility districts in the Central Texas region.
“We are extremely fortunate Henry chose to work with us at MRB Group,” said President Ryan Colvin, PE. “His direct experience and hands-on leadership make him an excellent resource for council members and utility directors,” Colvin continued.
“Henry’s effective planning has been instrumental in much of Mart’s recent successes. He can help other communities with growth that supports further investment,” Colvin stated.
According to Colvin, Witt will join the firm’s SmarterLocalGov Team and work directly with community leaders and utility operators to help address the challenges they face in delivering efficient services at the lowest possible cost.
A former Mayor Pro Tem and City Council Member from Mart, Texas, Witt has spent the better part of his career in sales and sales management, climbing to executive positions as a natural leader and coach. In his management capacities, Witt utilized a strategic approach, fostering leadership in trainees and inspiring them to achieve goals. When he became involved in his local government following a successful election to the City Council, he applied the same principles, quickly becoming selected by fellow Members as Mayor Pro Tem. He later became the City of Mart’s Chief Planning Officer, further volunteering his time and talent to the community.
“Planning and leadership go hand in hand. You can’t succeed in one without the other,” said Witt.
“The Chief Planning Officer advises the Council and City Manager on decisions to ensure consistency in advancing a shared vision of what the city will become over time,” Witt stated. In Mart, Witt assumed the role of both guardian and champion of that vision. He spearheaded an effort and successfully secured nearly $25 Million in funding for the City for infrastructure improvements, addressing aging utilities and preparing the region for private investment and development.
At MRB Group, Witt will work with a staff of professional engineers and architects in both the firm’s Temple and Austin offices. In addition to a full range of engineering and architecture services, the teams in both locations also support a staff of professionals who provide planning services, planning board support for development reviews, and economic development guidance for communities looking to target specific types of growth.
“We help local governments to take a more proactive role in creating their own future,” said Colvin. “Henry will be instrumental in connecting communities to all the resources we’ve developed, tools and guidance based on the collective experience of our team members and decades of experience with the hundreds of growing municipal and public entities we serve,” he said.
MRB Group has worked with municipal, commercial and public entities for more than 90 years, providing engineering, architecture, development and planning and services to support and strengthen local governments and utility operations. The firm currently serves more than 150 communities, assisting with day-to-day operations like water and wastewater treatment, public works services, architecture for maintenance and rehabilitation of public facilities, and support for municipal operations including strategic planning, planning board services, and economic development.
