From humble beginnings in Cleveland to serving 15 years on the Cleveland ISD school board and later becoming mayor, Danny Lee’s life has been closely tied to the community he calls home. During this week’s appearance on the Bluebonnet News Headlines and Heartlines podcast, Lee shared stories about his path to public service and the work being done to guide Cleveland through a period of rapid growth.
Lee said his connection to Cleveland goes back to childhood.
“I was born and raised here in Cleveland. Very humble beginnings,” Lee said. “I always knew that I wanted to do something in life. I just didn’t know what.”
For a time, he believed athletics might shape his future.
“I thought it was football, but that kind of didn’t work out the way I wanted it to,” Lee said.
After college, Lee began working for what was then Gulf States Utilities, now Entergy Texas, spending more than two decades in the energy industry. His return to Cleveland, however, came in an unexpected way.
“On our first date, she told me, ‘Well, look, I’ll never move from Cleveland,’” Lee said, referring to his wife, Barbara. “So that’s how I ended up back in Cleveland.”
Once back home, Lee said he still felt a strong desire to serve the community. He eventually ran for the Cleveland ISD school board and served there for 15 years before stepping away briefly around the time he retired.
“I said I was going to retire and just spend more time with my wife, travel and do all that retirement stuff,” Lee said. “But after about a year I decided I wanted to be back in the world.”
Instead of returning to the school board, Lee ran for Cleveland City Council and was elected. He later became mayor, a role he says has given him the opportunity to meet and work alongside many people throughout the area.
“It’s really been a blessing, serving all these years,” Lee said. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many great people.”
During the interview, Lee also reflected on how much Cleveland has changed over the past several years. When he first joined the city council, growth was relatively slow.
“We might have had one or two new home permits per year,” Lee said. “Now, at one point, we were having about 17 to 20 new home permits per month.”
That surge in development forced the city to rethink how it approached planning and infrastructure. Lee said his leadership philosophy has focused on teamwork and building relationships among council members.
“With my football background, I always believe in teamwork,” Lee said.
He acknowledged that disagreements are part of local government but believes progress happens when leaders focus on moving forward together.
“When we disagree on something, we agree to disagree and go on to the next issue,” Lee said. “We don’t dwell on the past. We don’t hold grudges.”
Lee said he believes Cleveland residents have recognized those efforts. In a prior election cycle, he and two other incumbents were reelected without opposition.
“That meant a lot,” Lee said.
He also emphasized the importance of staying connected with residents. One of the ways the city has tried to do that is through the mayor’s monthly community coffee gatherings.
“We have to return phone calls. We have to listen to people,” Lee said. “That’s why we have the monthly Coffee with the Mayor and that’s been a great success.”
A major focus for the city moving forward is addressing infrastructure needs that date back decades.
“When I first took office, I found out that we have a 70-year-old infrastructure,” Lee said.
In recent years, the city has secured millions of dollars in grant funding to begin upgrading water, sewer and drainage systems.
“Right now, we’re in the process of getting started on a lot of that,” Lee said.
As Cleveland continues to grow, Lee said the city must balance new development with maintaining the community’s character.
“We want Chick-fil-A. We want Chili’s, Applebee’s, we want all of that,” Lee said. “But we want to have the small town feel. We don’t want all the traffic but we need the economic gain.”
Lee’s full conversation about Cleveland’s growth, infrastructure challenges and his vision for the city can be heard on the latest episode of the Headlines and Heartlines podcast from Bluebonnet News by clicking the link below. The episode will also be aired on KILE FM radio on Tuesday and Friday, March 17 and March 20, at 10 a.m.