Dianna Hodges, new Vision Lampasas! chairman, and Ron Hall. board member, spent time recently visiting at downtown businesses. Albert Schweitzer once said: “Those among you who will be truly happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

Judging by that measure, Dianna Hodges must be a very happy woman.

Community service has steered her course in Central Texas for more than three decades. And Mrs. Hodges continues that service by picking up the reins of Vision Lampasas! to assume the leadership role and help the organization move forward.

Mrs. Hodges is the new board chairman for Vision Lampasas!, an organization whose goal is to enhance the aesthetic, social, cultural and economic welfare of Lampasas.

When the previous board chair stepped down, group members were left to pick up the pieces and decide which direction VL should move.

Mrs. Hodges, who previously served as a member of the art committee, then as art committee chair, said she had good reason to accept the top post.

“There was no one there to pick it up, and I couldn’t stand to see the vision die,” she said. “Now we have to refocus our vision and what’s going to benefit Lampasas the most.”

To assist her, TJ Mabrey moved up from chairing VL’s economic development committee to the vice president of the board.

Also helping are Ron Hall and Colleen Eckermann, both previously on the design committee who now are serving on the board of directors.

In addition, Janet Collins Sievers, who chaired the first Community Christmas Parade, and her husband Ed, the organization’s treasurer, also are board members.

Where there were 11 board members, now there are six. Mrs. Hodges believes the group can accomplish much if they work together and continue to get the community involved in any number of affiliated task forces.

“We need to continue to not only get traffic downtown but all over the community, as well,” said Mrs. Hodges.

Squared Silly at Halloween and last year’s first Lighted Christmas Parade to complement Hometown Holidays are popular community events, and Mrs. Hodges said she would like to see those continue.

“There has been a lot of money donated and spent, and residents have not seen anything firm come from all of the plans yet. But we are hoping that will change.”

Mrs. Hodges said planning has been a long and somewhat expensive process, and though she believes it to be a worthwhile endeavor that will pay dividends, the community is ready to see results. A number of grants also have been applied for, and she hopes to see success in that area, as well.

“We need to see concrete results,” she said. “That’s what our residents want, and that’s what our committee wants. A lot of pre-planning has gone into this, and though people have not seen results yet, we are on the cusp. They will see results.

“Vision Lampasas! has been in existence for about 2 1/2 years. We have had really ambitious plans, and we are ready to implement some of those now.”

The board chairman said plans originally called for landscaping of the courthouse as a top priority, but that may not be the numberone project any more and likely will be relegated to long-term goal status. A series of planning meetings will help the committee determine priorities for VL, she said.

Projects that will continue are installation of banners on Third Street. The next phase is Fourth Street, and Key Avenue banners already are in place.

Several murals have been completed, and one is in progress. Two others are planned. “That enhances Lampasas’ uniqueness,” Mrs. Hodges said.

Raising funds to continue implementing plans is a must, she said. But instead of individual fund-raisers for several organizations during the year, Mrs. Hodges said volunteers will concentrate on holding one large fund-raiser where monies raised could be divided among the various organizations.

“When the economy was flush and we had plenty of money, we could concentrate on one specific project. But now what we do has to be for the economic benefit of the entire community,” Mrs. Hodges said.

Priorities include strengthening the business community, increasing visitors and promoting Lampasas as a special place, she said. “We have a gem in our courthouse. A lot of money has been spent making it what it is today. If we can get more money downtown, it can’t help but help the businesses on Key Avenue. Everybody benefits if we have more businesses open -- downtown and on Key Avenue.

“If people realize we can all work together for our own good, economically and aesthetically, and continue to realize Lampasas is our town, our responsibility, we can make it better. We don’t need people from out of town to do it for us; we can do it ourselves. That’s what will make us successful. And people in Lampasas are good about giving back to their town.”

During hard economic times, VL -- like most organizations -- is a slow building process. “We are kind of isolated. It’s like having 6,000 people on a small island,” Mrs. Hodges said. “Killeen and Copperas Cove are together, and Austin and Georgetown are together. We are by ourselves. And that means we have to work together, support each other and support our local businesses.

“We need to keep our dollars in town if we want our community to thrive. We can’t compete with the big box stores, but if we do what we can in our town, we all benefit,” Mrs. Hodges said.

And the VL chair knows the value of giving to her community.

She has been on the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts of Central Texas, serving as second vice president and finance chair. The organization serves 46 counties and more than 1,700 troops.

She also serves on the Library Foundation of Lampasas Texas and is a member of the Library Advisory Board.

Mrs. Hodges has helped paint both murals in the community and plans to contribute to the next two murals.

In addition, she is a tutor at a local school campus and teaches computer classes at the library. She also is a 30-year member of Town & Country Study Club, a local service organization.

A former middle school science teacher, Mrs. Hodges taught for 11 years. During her tenure, she earned the Lamar Medal for Excellence in Teaching through the Saratoga Lodge.

She and her husband, Daniel, one of the owners of Hodges & Sargent Pharmacy, are the parents of two married daughters. Annah is a pharmacist for Walgreens in San Marcos, and Karen is an oncology nurse at MD Anderson in Houston and is nearing completion of her nurse practitioner’s license.

Mrs. Hodges said she loves her community, and it is important to her that it flourishes.

“As for Vision Lampasas!, we need to see what worked, what didn’t work and move on from here. Working together, we can do that. We all benefit.”