Deep Roots

Though the Panhandle, with its regional population of 402,862 living on the West Texas prairie may seem small in comparison to those living in a large metropolitan area, residents who live here consider this region "their world." When a tiny seed is planted, such as the one that created the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, something important emerges. Roots grow where the resources - such as water, oxygen, and minerals - are available. Once the initial root completes its job of anchoring the plant to the soil, the secondary roots begin to branch off. Roots don't grow toward anything or in any particular direction. Instead, root growth is opportunistic in its timing and its orientation.

The Planning Commission, like a tree growing from a tiny seed, has been developing a strong root system since its opportunistic timing four decades ago. Our roots equate to hundreds of programs developed and sustained, the new partnerships and collaborations we have developed, the funding sources we have tapped to help underwrite our activities, the employees we have recruited and retained, and the hundreds of men and women who have volunteered to help improve our region. It is not uncommon for a tree's root system to have a much larger diameter than the height of the tree. The PRPC's root system has grown exponentially through the past 40 years, and is symbolic of the Planning Commission's growth, development, and success.