Fleet Manager for the City of Conroe to Highlight Innovations, Improvements & Cost Savings Achieved Using Entrepreneurial Principles

The normal rule of thumb for expanding services for a company in the private sector is higher spending, which would normally be financed by more sales or higher profit. In the public sector, however, more spending often means a higher budget that must be financed by more tax revenue.

For the fleet department of the City of Conroe, Tom Higgs, as its fleet manager, is doing just the opposite. He reorganized his department and then applied to his work the principles of entrepreneurship acquired from business, accounting and economics courses he pursued at Montgomery College in the past few years—following an 11-year career in the U.S. Army.

Higgs’ innovative work is now being reviewed and adopted by a number of cities across America. How he does that will be revealed in this fall’s Entrepreneurship Speaker Series presentation, scheduled for Wednesday, November 7, at Montgomery College. Sponsored by the Montgomery College Entrepreneurship Institute and the MC Student Entrepreneurs, Higgs’ presentation will be held in Building B, room 102 (Teaching Theatre), with a meet & greet from 6:30-7 p.m., followed by the presentation from 7-8:30 p.m.

As fleet manager, Higgs is responsible for overseeing the repair, maintenance and preventive maintenance of more than 400 vehicles and equipment for the City of Conroe. Additionally, he manages service contracts, training programs for employees, budgeting, quality control, and personnel actions. Prior to his current position, he also served as shop foreman and shop superintendent for the city’s fleet department. From 1989-2000, he served in various mechanical and fleet-related capacities in the U.S. Army.

For more information about the Entrepreneurship Institute or the MC Student Entrepreneurs, contact Kevin Nguyen, professor of accounting and economics and assistant director of the institute, at (936) 273-7346.

For more information about Montgomery College, visit montgomery.lonestar.edu, or call (936) 273-7000. Montgomery College is located at 3200 College Park Drive, approximately one-quarter mile west of I-45 between Conroe and The Woodlands.

North Harris Montgomery Community College District, among the largest and fastest-growing community colleges in Texas, comprises North Harris College, Kingwood College, Tomball College, Montgomery College, Cy-Fair College, six satellite centers and The University Center.