In January 2019, Carl Oscar Sherman, was sworn into the Texas House of Representatives, having just been elected to represent his district in the 2018 general election. Within months, he was appointed to the Appropriations Committee—one of the Legislature's most influential committees and a rare assignment for a freshman lawmaker.

 

That was when the calls began.

 

One by one, delegations from separate cities began making the trip to Austin. First two, then three, each with the same ask: would he consider coming back to serve as their city manager? One delegation even took him to dinner, laying out their case over a meal, hoping to make the offer harder to refuse.

 

Sherman prayed about each opportunity. He had just begun building something in the Legislature, and every sign pointed to staying the course. He believed his calling was in Austin so one after another, he declined every offer. 

 

But one of the three didn’t take no for an answer.

 

Ferris, where Sherman had begun his city management career years earlier, was determined to bring Sherman back. This time, the offer wasn’t to hire him back; it was to retain him as a consultant, backed by the full support of the city council. Sherman said yes. General Counsel drafted the agreement, and in 2019, The Carl Sherman Group was born with this first municipal agreement, not from a five-year business plan, but from a city that refused to let go of a leader it trusted.

 

Word of Sherman's unique ability to navigate the intersection of government, policy, and economic development soon attracted opportunities beyond municipal government.

 

One of these opportunities came when a California-based developer hit a wall. Their project—one of the first of its kind for single-family housing being built elsewhere in the country, but new to Texas—had stalled having been delayed and facing denials at the local level. A respected Dallas businessman and developer made a simple recommendation:

 

"Call The Carl Sherman Group."

 

The developer knew of Sherman’s reputation of being an open and transparent leader with a fluency in both sides of the arena—policy and administration, city hall and the state capitol—with a clear-eyed understanding of how Austin’s legislative and agency decisions ripple down into local development challenges or even sometimes, fights.

 

TCSG was retained to help move the project forward. Working collaboratively with city staff, elected officials, and the development team, Sherman helped identify solutions that addressed local concerns while preserving the project's vision. The result was unanimous approval by the city council.

 

That success opened doors across the private sector, establishing TCSG as a trusted and successful firm able to navigate the space where municipal regulation, business ambition, and community needs meet. From there, the firm has grown almost entirely by referral, a testament to its integrity and results-driven approach. Among its key achievements: engaging a global manufacturing corporation to establish its North American headquarters in the Best Southwest region, delivering economic benefits the host city will see for years to come.

 

TCSG works with local governments, developers, corporations, landowners, and economic development agencies to close the gap between public need and market opportunity. Its work spans recruitment of corporate headquarters and offices, manufacturers, major mixed-use developments to grocery store attraction and food-access strategy. The latter an emerging focus area gaining momentum through a growing public-private capital stack aimed at bringing quality retail, anchored by a full-service grocery store, to underserved communities.

 

Sherman’s dual fluency in policy and the business world allows its clients to get more than advisory recommendations; they get a partner who has served on both sides of the table and knows what it takes to move a project from feasibility and approvals to groundbreaking and long-term community success.

 

As the firm continues to grow, so do its services. TCSG offers City Council Strategic Summits and retreats to strengthen governance, along with grant writing services that help communities secure funding for capital improvement plans, critical infrastructure, flood and hazard mitigation, land use and comprehensive plan updates, and community revitalization initiatives.

 

Guided by its core values (Trusted, Creative, Synergistic, Goal-Oriented), TCSG remains dedicated to helping cities and companies across Texas achieve sustainable growth through collaboration and innovation, with an ardent focus on delivering measurable results for clients and communities alike.