County Honors Heinrich’s Quarter Century of Service

The Fayette County Commissioners Court signed a certificate of appreciation at their meeting last Thursday for Bob Heinrich, recognizing him for serving 25 years on the board of directors of Bluebonnet Trails Community Services.

In 1996, The Commissioners Court appointed Heinrich to the board of Bluebonnet Trails, the agency that serves citizens with intellectual disabilities in Fayette and seven other counties. Bluebonnet Trails was officially established the following year. Heinrich was also chairman of the board from its founding in 1997 through 2019. Since then, he has served as vice-chairman. “The reason Bluebonnet Trails was formed was because the Legislature of the State of Texas determined that these individuals who needed services (for intellectual disabilities) needed a little more freedom,” Heinrich said. “They were confined too much. They weren’t out in the community. So our mission was to start community programs so these individuals had more freedom.”

Heinrich said Bluebonnet Trails has grown from serving 5,000 people when they started to serving 37,000 people today over the eight-county area. He said the agency started with 55 employees in 1997 and now employs 532. Today, the agency provides mental health services in addition to services for those with intellectual disabilities.

“It continues to grow,” Heinrich said. “The need is huge. The demand is huge. The financing is not really there to enable us to continue the services in the way we would like to.”

Heinrich thanked the County for supporting Bluebonnet Trails over the years.

“It was my privilege to serve the County as the representative for Fayette County over the last 25 years,” he said.

Heinrich especially thanked the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and Fayette County EMS, who often work handin- hand with Bluebonnet Trails when someone in the community undergoes a mental health crisis.

“What you started with, what you achieved and what you left us with is quite a legacy for the future of our County,” said County Judge Joe Weber.