Willcox, Arizona may be small in size, but it’s mighty in charm and in ambition. For City Manager Caleb Blaschke, community boils down to one core idea: bringing everyone together and serving as many people as possible in the best way possible.
That spirit is most visible during Willcox’s beloved Christmas Parade and Holiday Bazaar, where the city invites residents to skate, climb a rock wall, shop local vendors, and celebrate alongside neighbors. But community connection in Willcox isn’t confined to events; it’s woven into everyday life. “In a small town… everyone has my cell phone number. I run into everyone at the grocery store,” Blaschke says with a smile.
Willcox is also a town navigating the complexities of reaching residents across languages, generations, and technology comfort levels. With a large Hispanic population and a significant number of elderly residents, traditional communication hasn’t always met the mark. That’s why the city embraced a centralized community calendar and multi-channel messaging tools, a decision Blaschke says has been transformative.
“We can now reach different audiences in a faster, more efficient way.”
Through this digital shift, the city has formed stronger partnerships with nonprofits, volunteers, and especially the local senior center, which often relies on the city to help share information. Blaschke sees this collaboration as essential: with volunteerism declining nationally, cities must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with community groups to help carry the load.
Innovation is happening across departments as well. Willcox recently opened a brand-new pool and moved registration and payment online to eliminate hours-long lines. A new marketing strategy includes QR codes on utility bills and in-person outreach at school sports events.
But the biggest change Blaschke sees is cultural. “Quality of life is now the top driver of economic development,” he says, referencing a Harvard lecture that reframed community priorities. Parks, safety, recreation, and belonging are now as important as traditional logistics and Willcox is embracing this shift wholeheartedly.
Through strategic planning, multilingual communication, and a commitment to meeting residents where they are, Willcox is demonstrating something powerful: small towns can lead big changes.
