By Molly Ryan Friday, 15 April 2011
NORTHWEST HOUSTON — When John and Marsha Carlevaro moved to Northwest Houston in the mid 1970s, the closest public
library was at least a half-hour drive from their house, and the only cluster of local businesses was on FM 1960. John, president of
the Cypress branch of Prosperity Bank, and Marsha, a retired Spring Branch ISD teacher, helped change this through their individual
projects of building the Northwest Houston library and financing local businesses.
"So many times people say, 'What can I do?'" John said. "People need to get involved, and they need to take a stand. It is important
for people to say, 'I can make a difference if I try.'"
Marsha succeeded making a difference by opening the Northwest Branch of the Harris County Public Library system with the help of
John, her friends and the county in 1983.
"I wanted [a library] open by the time my daughter was 5," Marsha said. "I just felt that not only her, but all the children, needed a
place for story hour and a place to spend time reading. Reading opens doors to the rest of the world."
She started the process of installing a library in the community by calling Harris County on a regular basis.
"I called about every six months, and after two years, they called and said they put our library on top of the list," Marsha said. "I
guess I had been persistent."
After the county agreed to build a library in the area, Marsha and John helped find a location for the Northwest Branch and raise
funds for its book collection.
Marsha said with John's connections as a local banker, they soon found a developer willing to sell the land to build a library. Also,
she quickly formed a library friends group— made up of her own friends— to help raise money for the book collection.
"If it wasn't for them, it wouldn't have happened," Marsha said.
Together, Marsha's friends and family organized a local used book sale with more than 900 volunteers, which— along with private
donations— raised $60,000 to purchase a book collection.
"That was the most rewarding— seeing the smiles on their faces when [the volunteers] were dropping off books," Marsha said. "We
are in an area where there is not a lot of cohesiveness, but this was one of the few events that all of the subdivisions worked
together for one cause."
Marsha contributes a considerable amount of the library's success to her husband, who has also made a positive mark in the
community through his work at Prosperity Bank.
For more than 30 years, John has financed small and large businesses throughout the area. Even during financial crises in the 1980s
and the current economic downturn, he has helped businesses secure stable loans. "We deal in relationship banking where you
know your customers," he said. "When a lot of people started getting nervous about banks nationwide [during the current economic
downturn,] we didn't lose any of our customer base because they trusted us." John also said he works to finance businesses that are
important to the community, such as churches.
"We have never stopped lending to small businesses, churches, we cover the gamut," he said. "It is rewarding to see these people
prosper."
