Published: June 22, 2009 11:27 pm      

J’ville’s mayor sells practice, searching for the next challenge

By Kelly Young

kyoung@jacksonvilleprogress.com

The last time Robert Haberle got the 14-year itch it prompted him to leave a lucrative but emotionally draining career with the Dallas Fire Department so that he could go back to school to become a doctor of chiropracty. But after another 14 years of practicing that profession, Haberle is once again ready for another change in his life.

Haberle, who is also mayor of Jacksonville, sold his practice in April to Dr. Jonathan D. Rigsby and now looks forward to the next chapter in his life — whatever that may be.

“It looks like I have now established a pattern where I’m good for about 13-and-a-half years in any given career. I left the fire department because I was feeling some uneasiness about the job, and now after doing this for a while, there is just a sense of wanting to explore life and see what else is out there,” Haberle said. “I don’t know what the next thing for me is yet but I look forward to finding out; I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to be when I grow up.”

The legal transaction commuting Dr. Haberle’s practice to Dr. Rigsby took place April 20, and the mayor made an agreement at that time to stay with the practice for two months as a way of helping his replacement get up and running.

When he pitched the idea of selling his practice, Haberle got about 10 strong inquires, which he eventually was able to work down to two candidates.

According to Haberle, he chose Rigsby to buy him out not only because he is a knowledgeable and skillful doctor, but also because of what he can contribute to the community.

“I had a Sophie’s Choice decision to make between these two great doctors, and I finally settled on Dr. Rigsby because in addition to being a well-educated person who is very competent in the technical part of what we do as chiropractors, he also brings with him to Jacksonville a well-educated wife and a young family. What a great addition to the Jacksonville community!” Haberle said.

Rigsby is a 2005 graduate of Texas A&M University and a 2008 graduate of Parker College of Chiropractic.

Haberle said he has taken the necessary action with the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners and the Texas Chiropractor Association so that he will be able to maintain his medical license if he should decide to go back into practice at some point.

The mayor also has several real estate investments in town which he said he enjoys managing, and is the owner of the Jacksonville Payless Shoe Source location. Over the course of the past eight years, Haberle has been responsible for three new businesses coming to town — Payless, EyeCare Associates of East Texas and Farm Bureau Insurance — which he said is a source of great pride for him.

But for now he said he’s in no rush to figure out what tomorrow will hold.

“I am blessed and fortunate to not have a gun to my head where I have to go back to work soon. My plan for the next few months, while my grandchildren are out of school, is to spend as much time as I can fishing and stomping through creeks and being a grandfather,” Haberle said. “Once summer is over I’ll settle down and figure out what’s next. I am going to miss the patients and dealing with people, but I’m very excited to see what is going to be behind the next door. I don’t have anything on the immediate horizon, but I look forward to facing whatever challenges await me.”