Nicole Dietzenbach

When you think about the person steering Galveston’s day-to-day operations and planning for its future, you might picture closed-door meetings and stacks of policy reports. But in this unfiltered conversation, City Manager Brian Maxwell opens up about the challenges and rewards of leading the island, his vision for the next decade, the reality of drainage issues, and the community projects that make Galveston unique—including the beloved Turtles About Town. Along the way, he proves that even serious civic leadership can come with a laugh or two.