Just as the new board of The Woodlands Township began their journey into the future of the community, the man who initiated and led the agency and its predecessor for 14 years announced his resignation.

While the new members begin their public service with the township, Frank Robinson, who oversaw the daily operations of the township as its board president and as president of The Town Center Improvement District, resigned to take a job as city manager in Apple Valley, Calif.

"We so appreciate where Frank has brought the township," said Nelda Luce Blair, chairwoman of the township board. "He has seen it grow and he has shaped its progress. Now he is ready for a new challenge. This township, Town Center and community owe Frank a great deal of gratitude for getting us here."

Joining the 11-member township board on Wednesday were the first members elected community-wide, including Bruce Tough, Blair, Peggy Hausman, Tom Campbell and Claude Hunter.

The new board is charged with transiting the special district from a downtown economic development entity to one that serves both residents and businesses alike in the growing community of 90,000. By 2010, the township will take over the day-to-day operations of municipal type services the community and is expected to institute a property tax to pay for them.

The first meeting of the new board was not without its fights, with a tug-of-war between the old guard of the board and some new members who wanted to be better represented in leadership roles. In the end, the slate recommended by the former board's nomination committee was elected, with Blair as chairman, Lloyd Matthews as vice chairman, Alex Sutton as secretary and Vicki Richmond as treasurer.

Tom Campbell, a newly elected board member who also serves on The Woodlands Community Association homeowners board, asked the board to waive its policy requiring a year's service on the board before a member could be considered for leadership. He wanted Tough, the top vote recipient in the May 10 election, to be on the executive committee. New member Claude Hunter also called for Tough to serve as co-chairman of the township.

"I request the new board consider the highest vote recipient in our election, Bruce Tough, to be considered as an officer to fairly represent the resident of The Woodlands on the new Township board," Campbell said.

Also overlooked for the executive committee was Hausman, a longtime township board member who also was elected on May 10. She said she was never considered for an officer's position, although she would like to serve.

While that policy will be discussed at the next meeting, the issue appears to be moot with the election of officers. During a poll of board members, Tough only received one vote to serve as vice chairman.

Hausman also questioned the appointment of Richmond as treasurer, since she serves as a consultant to Woodforest National Bank. That bank, and its subsidiary Woodforest Financial Services, are investment firms used by the board.

"We want to be transparent," said Hausman, who eventually voted for the appointment.

Richmond said she is not an employee of the bank or its financial services arm. Mike Page, an attorney for the township board, also said as a chairwoman and member of the township's three member investment committee, she does not solely make decisions on the placement of funds.

"She has no independent authority to place investments," Page said.

Hausman also called for a discussion on the appointment of the eleventh member of the board at the June meeting to replace Les Tarrance, a local businessman who resigned in October for health reasons following a guilty plea to federal mail fraud charges involving a mortgage scheme. Hausman has advocated appointing the sixth highest vote recipient in the race — WCA board president Jeff Long — to the seat.

The position represents a critical swing vote between the old board, made up of appointees and those elected by Town Center residents, and the new members, which were elected community wide.

Matthews also called for a future special meeting to discuss the many transition issues the board will need to address.

Tina Araujo, an Alden Bridge resident and former member of the Governance Steering Committee, delivered a message to the new board at the beginning of the meeting, saying they no longer represent TCID or homeowner associations. She urged members to act with "accountability, integrity, ethics and ensure transparency" in the new government. She also asked to provide direct e-mail connections for township board members and to institute a 311 system to provide information for residents.

"Your roles and responsibility have increase a hundred fold," Araujo said.

In the meantime, the board accepted the resignation of Robinson, who will leave July 22. Blair said the executive committee will meet to discuss a replacement.

"It's a new set of circumstances," Blair said. "We will take a hard look at what we need in the future between now and 2010 and after 2010."

Robinson was the first employee of the then Town Center Improvement District, an agency created by the Texas Legislature to address public safety and economic development for the central business district in The Woodlands.

From its beginnings overseeing a few office buildings and the Pinecroft Center, the district grew to encompass Town Center, the Texas 242 corridor and parts of Research Forest, which included 1.2 square miles, eight-million square feet of commercial and retail space, 1,400 hotel rooms, three-million square feet of office space, 900 business, 400 retail outlets, more than 40 restaurants and a job base of 6,200 employees.

In November, voters in The Woodlands approved three propositions to expand the district community-wide, to transition it to a seven-member elected board by 2010 and to allow the new entity to collect property taxes.