The Many Hats of Todd Flippo

Boswell pioneer. Texas A&M Aggie. Third generation farmer. Medical device director. Saginaw Mayor. These are all Todd Flippo.

As Saginaw’s mayor since 2017, Todd Flippo has seen tremendous growth and change since the days of riding tractors on his grandfather’s dairy farm off what was a two-lane gravel Bailey-Boswell Road. Joe Newton ran cattle and milked heifers there starting in the late 1940s, and it’s where Flippo raised his family and still lives today. 

Flippo grew up on the farm where the next generation of Newtons/Flippos ran cattle and farmed winter wheat. He attended Boswell High School where he played football and baseball and was active in 4-H. He left Saginaw for College Station, a large town compared to Saginaw’s 6,000 residents in the late 1980s. 

Flippo graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in microbiology and later received an MBA from Dallas Baptist University. He has worked for Alcon Laboratories in Fort Worth since 1991, where he has held many roles, most recently as an Associate Director of Digital Solutions. Flippo married his college sweetheart in 1994, and they made their home in Arlington for a decade as they started their family. 

In 2005, Flippo returned to Saginaw with his wife Jennifer, a university professor, and their two boys to start their own journey on the farm. Both of Flippo’s sons graduated from Saginaw High School, and the elder son came back after college graduation to live in his grandparents’ former home with his fiancée. 

Flippo began his public service in 2008 with his first election to the Saginaw City Council. During his tenure, the Council and city staff moved to a new City Hall, and the population continued to boom along the newly redeveloped roads, Bailey-Boswell and Longhorn. After the departure of the former mayor in 2017 for a job out of state, Flippo was asked if he would run to fill the vacancy. He has served as mayor since, and he was re-elected in May 2024 for another three-year term. 

Being mayor of a growing and former rural community has its challenges, Flippo says. “We want to offer people who live here a place to work, play, learn, and thrive, all while maintaining the small-town feel that many of us still love.” 

He laughs when asked about how some have called him the Mayor of Construction. “During my time in office, we have done a fair amount of building. A bond election in 2021 gave us the ability to rebuild and repair drainage issues on Knowles, a major road near our largest city park. We have built a new fire station, and 2025 will bring the completion of our new, much larger library and a 55+ Activity Center.” 

Flippo mentioned they don’t refer to it as a senior center anymore, as many folks who use it consider themselves anything but senior! The J.D. Johnson Bailey-Boswell Bridge, opened in 2022, has been a game-changer for Saginaw and Tarrant County residents who were spending time waiting in the multiple trains that pass through frequently. 

The best part of living in a small town near a large metropolitan area, Flippo says, is that you still benefit from the community connections. “Our city staff participates in an event we call ‘Garage Gabs’ where the City Manager, council members, and fire and police personnel will come to your driveway, meet with you and your neighbors, and answer any questions about what is going on in the city. Where else can you get that kind of service?” Flippo asks. 

Flippo attends many grand openings of businesses in the city, and you may see him resembling a certain jolly old elf saying “Ho! Ho! Ho!” at the library each December. 

Clearly proud of his city and its growth, Flippo says he has a few more things to get done as Mayor. There are several street projects being completed, and the council and City staff are trying to encourage sit-down restaurants and small businesses to join some of the developments that are under construction. “We know our folks want somewhere to eat, shop, and be entertained right here in town, so we’d like Saginaw to be a destination.” 

When asked if his children will continue the tradition of farming on his property, which is about the only agricultural plot left in Saginaw, Flippo says, “For now, both boys are very happy out there. Travis, my younger son, is living at home while he is in graduate school, and my older son, Cameron, will start his married life there in his house. They realize the value of being fourth generation ranching residents, and they spent their childhoods driving tractors like I did. My wife and I hope our children will stay as long as it serves them.” 

At a population of almost 25,000, Saginaw is a different town than when Flippo played football on Friday nights and showed pigs in 4-H, but for Mayor Flippo, it is home. And home will always be just right.