Joe E. Rinehart, the current mayor of Lake Jackson and 66 year resident of the city, graduated in 1966 from Brazosport High School. Joe and his younger sister Mary grew up down the street from Elisabet Ney Elementary School, where their love for school and athletics began. At Brazosport, Rinehart excelled in football, basketball and track & field.
Rinehart served his country as a member of the U.S. Army, 199th Light Infantry Brigade, during the Vietnam conflict, from 1969-70. Continuing his military service, Joe joined the 4th Armored Battalion in Bamberg, Germany, returning back home, stateside, in 1971.
Completing his education, Rinehart graduated from Stephen F. Austin University and headed back to Brazosport to begin teaching and coaching at Freeport Intermediate School. In 1980, Rinehart moved to Brazoswood High School, where he worked for his former high school coach, L.Z. Bryan. In the classroom, Joe taught World History, Texas History, U.S. History, World Geography, Economics and Government. Rinehart was selected, by his peers, as Brazoswood High School’s Teacher of the Year in 2001. A much beloved coach and educator, Joe retired in 2012, after 34 years in public education, all in BISD.
While teaching his students about history and civic responsibility, Rinehart did not just “talk the talk,” he “walked the walk.” In 2003 Joe Rinehart ran and was elected to the Lake Jackson City Council, going on to serve three consecutive terms. Due to the city’s term limits, Rinehart could not run for a fourth consecutive time, but was eligible to run again in 2011, where he was again elected to serve on the Council. After the election in 2012, Joe Rinehart took on the leadership role of Mayor of the city of Lake Jackson, where he is now serving his third, and final term.
Mayor Rinehart has served on the Board of Directors for the Houston-Galveston Area Council, and presently serves on the Board of Directors of the Economic Alliance of Brazoria County, is a member of the Flash Walker-L.Z. Bryan Scholarship Committee and serves on the Dow Chemical Citizens’ Advisory Panel.
Joe and his wife Becky are very active in Chapelwood United Methodist Church. Joe has served on the Staff-Parish Relations Committee and is very active with the COT Emmaus Community. Their two daughters, Molly and Meredith, both graduates of BISD, provide great getaway spots for their parents with Molly living in California and Meredith in Austin.