Notes From Our Journey
From twenty-six years of building custom homes on Lake Texoma, here we share about our process and what we've learned about design, materials, engineering, and the decisions that shape a home built to last for generations — the questions clients ask us most often, and the answers we give around the table in our design center.
Quiet Leadership: Tom Ceci’s Indelible Mark on Pottsboro and Beyond

Ceci Bates

The people who shape a place over the long arc of decades are rarely the ones who set out to do so. They simply carry out the work before them, year after year, and the contours of the community inevitably reflect their presence, even if they never intended it. This is certainly true for Tom Ceci, who began building homes in the Lake Texoma region in the 1980s. During these formative years, long before Ceci Bates Custom Homes came into being in 1999, Tom honed his approach to construction.
These were pivotal years when Tom learned to exact his own high standards, choosing which projects were worthy of his name and selecting tradespeople whose craftsmanship aligned with his vision. It was in this crucible that Tom established the foundation for what would later become a thriving partnership with Scott Bates. When Scott joined him and the company was born, Tom remained the anchor, overseeing the execution of projects, ensuring that each home was built with the integrity and care that mirrored his own commitment to excellence.
Tom Ceci’s role as the mayor of Pottsboro is an extension of his life’s work. It is a testament to the unwavering trust the community has in him, built over decades of watching how he conducted himself both professionally and personally. The same principles that guided over a thousand homes into existence rooted his service to the town. His roles intertwine, united by a genuine care for the people and places around him.
The measure of a builder’s credibility often lies in the enduring trust they inspire within the community. Pottsboro attests to Tom Ceci’s enduring influence. To learn more about the custom homebuilding process underpinned by such reliability, we invite you to explore what Ceci Bates Custom Homes has to offer at cecibates.com.
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