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Taylor loses an influential leader 
Pitts |
By Philip Jankowski Taylor lost a community champion Monday with the death of Alma Pitts. Pitts, 71, succumbed to a long battle with cancer. Pitts, an African-American, broke several racial boundaries throughout her life, including becoming the first black person elected to the Taylor Independent School District’s Board of Trustees. She served from 1987 to 1996. She was also instrumental as a board member of the Williamson County Children’s Advocacy Center, serving from 1999 to 2003. In 2003, Pitts helped secure a $10,000 donation to the WCCAC from her son Shawn. The grant allowed the organization to purchase the home it had been using to help treat and interview children who were victims of sexual assaults. That donation paid dividends, Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley said. The house ended up doubling in value and eased the financial constraints of building the WCCAC’s new facility off SE Inner Loop. “If I had 10 Almas, I could take over the world,” Bradley said. Bradley said Alma especially made sure that East Williamson County was not overlooked during her time with the WCCAC. She was very instrumental in keeping the WCCAC afloat during its early years, often donating her own money to the cause, he said. In Taylor, Pitts earned several accolades, including Woman of the Year in 1992. The Taylor Police Department also honored Pitts in 2003 with a TPD Service Award. “Alma was an incredible person who made me feel instantly at home when I relocated to Taylor,” TPD Chief Jeff Straub said. “I feel privileged to have known her and am grateful that our department was able to publicly recognize her efforts while she was still with us.” Pitts’ service to the community reached out to those who the community often gives up on. Through her business, Pitts Bail Bonds, she often would extend a little faith to those who no one else would trust. The business epitomized her ground-up efforts to revitalize her neighborhood, which had once been plagued by criminal activity. She helped spearhead Turn Around Taylor, an initiative that aimed at reducing crime in South Taylor. It culminated in the razing of several dilapidated homes harboring drug dealing and other illegal activities. Pitt’s funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Zion Chapel Baptist Church, located at 612 E. Walnut St.
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