Regional Association Navigates Pandemic
It was my distinct honor to serve as the president of the West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association for 2019-2020. We have such a good Association of elected officials across the 118-county region that comprises the WTCJCA. I started my term as president at the annual conference in April of 2019, and it is quite a complex, far-reaching process to get to the finish line for the conference each year. It was a privilege for me to represent the WTCJCA at the other regional conferences held in various locations across Texas.
I am now serving on the board for the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas. It has been good to see issues at the state level by being on the CJCAT Board. One theme that runs across each conference and association is the partnership that we have with the professional staff at the Texas Association of Counties (TAC), the V. G. Young Institute of County Government and AgriLife Extension, County Progress, and the law firm of Allison, Bass & Magee. Finally, the many vendors are to be thanked for their support of our Association; these folks underwrite a significant portion of the conference expense.
A funny thing happened on the way to the 2020 WTCJCA Conference: A pandemic struck, and many, many aspects of life changed. Early in March of 2020, I was driving back from Big Bend after spending a week there with my grandson. I was actually thinking about what needed to be finalized and checked on for our conference that was scheduled for April 2020. After running down a mental checklist, I decided that we were ready for the 2020 WTCJCA Conference in San Angelo. Little did I know what was in store for our Association. I got back home and started getting texts from neighboring County Judges about them having positive cases of COVID-19. Then one of my County Judge friends reached out and informed me that Eastland County had its first positive, confirmed by a hospital test in another county. I met with my district judge and district attorney the next day, and we decided to postpone in-person judicial hearings. Since then, a brave new world has evolved with Zoom meetings, modifications by the Office of Court Administration for all types of judicial proceedings, facial masks, gallons of hand sanitizer, many executive orders from Gov. Abbott, and numerous other changes.
Our Association board met by conference phone calls and virtual meetings to decide what to do about our conference in April. We voted to move it to the middle of August because we should be through with the COVID-19 pandemic by then, right? Wrong. Another series of calls and virtual meetings was held, and the board made the difficult decision to cancel the in-person conference scheduled for August. We decided to have a board meeting in person in San Angelo and combine it with a virtual Association business meeting.
COVID-19 was not through with me, however; a few days before the board and business meetings, I exhibited signs of COVID-19, was tested, and confirmed positive. I isolated in our guest room for 14 days and became very ill for most of that time. I may have been sicker at some time in the past, but I don’t remember it! This virus is no hoax. As I write this article at the end of August, I am three weeks out from getting sick and just now feel about normal. The virus and isolation meant that I could not take part in the board and business meeting in person, so I attended by the virtual method. I want to heap praise upon my fellow WTCJCA Board members and officers for taking care of the meeting. Our new president, Irion County Commissioner John Nanny, took the reins and did an outstanding job of finalizing my term. President Nanny has been and will continue to be a great leader for our Association. I also want to thank the staff at TAC and County Progress for keeping us going during these strange times. Last but not least, our sincere thanks to Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP for sponsoring our business meeting, and Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Inc. for sponsoring our scholarship program.
Our Association is in very good hands, and I am proud to still be on the West Texas Association Board as the immediate past president in an ex-officio role. I look forward to seeing everyone at future events. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you!
By Eastland County Judge Rex Fields, Immediate Past President, West Texas Association