With the new year, Marshall resident T.D. Rusty Howell is leaving his tenure on the board of Marshall Economic Development Corporation after being an integral part of the entity before it even existed.

Howell said his volunteer work on the board has been rewarding because of the positive difference he feels his efforts and those of many others have made on Marshall  both for now and for years to come.

The creation and gradual filling up of Marshall Industrial Park and the laying of the groundwork to bring the Marshall campus of Texas State Technical College are the two projects Howell said he is most proud to have played a role in. Both have already made a big difference in the landscape and economic well being for the area and should continue benefitting Marshall and Harrison County for years to come.

"Those are the biggest successes we've had while I've been on the board," he said recently. Howell was among a local contingent involved in getting legislation passed in the early 1990s that resulted in the creation of TSTC and also was instrumental in the city creating MEDCO.