Everything Is Up

Nature's Guardians: A Deep Dive Into Dallas' Conservancy Efforts with Tony Moore

Episode Notes

In episode 50 of Everything is Up, Tammera Hollerich interviews Tony Moore, CEO of the Trinity Park Conservancy. Tony shares insights about the Conservancy's mission to develop the Trinity River corridor for recreational and environmental purposes. He discusses the upcoming project at Harold Simmons Park and reflects on his journey from working in the Orlando markets to his current role.

Tune in to learn more about Tony's passion for creating extraordinary spaces for the community.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:03:28] Park Developments in Different Locations.

[00:06:47] Dallas Green Spaces and Floodplain.

[00:12:46] Long-Awaited Harold Simmons Park.

[00:14:02] Dallas's Version of Central Park.

[00:18:29] Cultural Differences and Leadership.

[00:23:21] Park's Evolving Design Process.

[00:28:55] Cars and Semi-Pro Soccer.

[00:31:06] Soccer's Global Popularity.

In this episode, Tammera Hollerich and Tony Moore discuss the importance of humility in leadership, the significance of green spaces in urban environments, and the exciting future of Dallas with the development of Harold Simmons Park.

Overall, Tony Moore's approach to leadership underscores the significance of humility, respect, and adaptability when stepping into new roles or environments. By embodying these qualities, leaders can earn the trust and credibility needed to succeed in their endeavors and make a positive impact on the communities they serve.

QUOTES

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Tammera Hollerich

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TammeraHollerich

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammerahollerich/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thollerich/

Tony Moore 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trinityparkconservancy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-moore-7b224419/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trinityparkconservancy/

WEBSITES

Everything Is Up: https://everything-is-up.simplecast.com/

Tammera Hollerich: https://tammerahollerich.com/

Trinity Park Conservancy: https://trinityparkconservancy.org/

Harold Simmon Park: https://haroldsimmonspark.com/

Episode Transcription

Welcome to everything is up a podcast about the real life stories of people who have created extraordinary levels of success These are conversations with people who are constantly striving to take things to the next level And now here's your host 

Welcome to Everything is Up with Tamara. Joining me today is Tony Moore. Tony, you are the CEO of the Trinity Park Conservancy. Is that how we say that? 

It's a mouthful, Tamara, and thank you so much for having me on. And yes, ma'am, I am. 

That's exciting. OK, so you're right. It is a mouthful because I was like, OK, let me make sure I say this right. So give our listeners a little background about the Trinity Park Conservancy and then how you ended up in this role because you travel and have done some pretty big projects around the world. So give us a little bit about what the Trinity Park Conservancy is and then how did you end up getting here? 

Secondly, so the Trinity Park Conservancy is tasked with the recreation development of the Trinity corridor, the Trinity River corridor. 

And so it's roughly 10,000 acres, approximately 20 miles. And so our job to mayor is to add fun, recreational, environmental connectivity for that quarter. And so that's a tall order. But the very first project that we will be doing is a Harold Simmons Park. And and so it's important for us to get it right. And this has been in the works for quite a while. So. So, yeah, that's who we are. And you want me to dive into how I got here, huh? So in so doing, I started out my career in the Orlando markets, and I was fortunate to work for a lot of great parks. You know, Orlando is that destination, vacation destination capital of the world. They call themselves 74 million visitors a year. And so huge, right? Yeah. And so I started in college working in the theme parks as a part time job, intended for strictly to be just that. And kept getting promoted to Mara. And every time I was ready to get a real job, I was just fortunate to be able to climb from the ground level up. Started out literally as a part-time job with grounds management, sweeping. And one thing led to another and had a chance to work with the SeaWorld Parks in different capacities, with Universal Studios in different capacities. I did a water park called Aquatica and a resort park called Discovery Cove. And then from there, I had a chance to go what we call the leave the dark for-profit side of the business and head over to the non-for-profit. And so I worked in Zoo Tampa for a while in Tampa Bay, Florida. And while I was there, a headhunter called and said, hey, would you be interested in doing a park in Tulsa, Oklahoma? And I will tell you, I was like, I don't think I'm leaving Florida to go to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Yeah, I can see that. I can see that.

I told the head hunter, Tamara, I said, you know, I've actually was offered a job to work at a park in Hong Kong just outside of Macau. And as I was cocky and saying, I'm going to Hong Kong, there's no way I'm going to tell. And I remember her saying, you need to look and see for yourself. And there's always, you know, you still have stereotypical images of environments and places. And so I went to Tulsa and I was just blown away of how cool a place it was. There was a foundation called the George Kaiser Family Foundation that was billing at $465 million apart. and wanted it to be a world-class park that would help put Tulsa on the map. And, you know, the rest was history. Went there, moved the family, everyone there, and had a blast doing that park. And with the success of that park, which was named the number one public attraction in America and the number one public park in America, the same designers who did that park, along with myself, Decided to come to Dallas to do the same thing, but this time to make it a very Dallas-centric park. We're not recreating the gathering place, but borrowing from all we learned. So that's how I got here. Happy to be in Dallas.

So, you know, that is an impressive resume. I don't care where you went, Hong Kong or Tulsa, that's still, it's still really impressive. You know, to know, because I had not had that history lesson on you just yet, that you actually started part time. I'm literally in the grounds of a park that just knowing that you started there. It means you've done every job that there is in that arena from the bottom up. I think it lends to the things I did read about you and your philosophy on leadership. So I think that explains it because you are extremely compassionate from what I have read and what people have to say about you. So that's very exciting. So Tulsa, how long did that project take in Tulsa?

So it was, I got there six months after the construction started. It was roughly a three year construction schedule, timeline. And I was there for two years of the construction and operated it for three years. So I was in Tulsa for about five years before Dallas came knocking.

Before Dallas came knocking. So, okay, so that, so a good foundation to come in. Coming into this Herald Park that this big Dallas has gotten really, really big on their green spaces. So, I mean, like, looking at Dallas going, okay, we're in flatland. We're also in a floodplain and I don't think a lot of people know that Dallas kind of sits in this floodplain. You come into Dallas and you see these big bridges and you're like, oh, that's kind of cool. Especially the big suspension bridge, right on 30 and. And so you kind of go, oh, that's great. But it's like, it's functional, like, it has to be there, or we have a bigger problem. So going into this Herald Park, with it being as massive as it is, and having to work in that floodplain some, I'm guessing,

Yeah, so, you know, I appreciate you acknowledging Clyde Warren Park and the standard that that has set. And so all major parks in Dallas play homage and respect for the success that Clyde Warren has had. And so we learned a lot from how they were able to transform the area where they were built and provide a world-class experience. And so When the invite first came and I was trying to understand the geography of the park, so former mayor of Dallas, Mayor Rollins, designated that the Harold Simmons Park would be located between the Ron Kirk Bridge to the north and the Margaret McDermott Bridge to the left. And that's also sandwiches the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. So Two beautiful white Santiago Calatrava bridges are basically the bookends for this park. And certainly I understand why Mayor Rollins would want that location. In fact, Tamara, I'll tell you, not being from Dallas, when I would see the Cowboys play, that was the visual geographic image that they would show. And so I was convinced the Cowboys played downtown Dallas. until I came here and found out it was not so, but it just speaks to the location. And you're right, the Harold Simmons Park will be 250 acres, a large park. To put that in perspective, Clyde Warren is five acres. So geography, but 200 of that is in the floodplain that you mentioned, the floodway where the Trinidad River. Most Dallas sites, unfortunately, are not aware that a river flows through their city called the Trinidad River. And because it's hidden between the 30-foot levees. And so the Army Corps relocated the river and the floodway for flood safety to prevent the flooding of downtown Dallas. And so I'll often hear that, oh, there is there is a river in Fort Worth. We know we see it as a trend, but it's not the same river that flows through Dallas. And I'm like, it is the same river.

Right.

And so the design had to be done in a way that allowed the floodway to do and to have its flooding cycle and at the same time to have a park. So 200 acres in the floodway, we will not have the built environment in terms of brick and mortar in the floodway, but we will have a series of overlooks that will caress the levees and bring people to the floodway. And so our tagline for the Harold Simmons Park is a park where nature unites Dallas.

That's impressive, actually, because there's there's got to be a lot of wildlife in that space. There's got to be, you know, just. And not disrupting that, but incorporating it has got to be a task that is almost daunting, I would think.

Yeah, we have a responsibility to bring Dallas-Metro and beyond to the Trinidad River in a way that is sustainable, in a way that respects the ecology. It's a man-made wetland, to be honest, since the relocation, but the wildlife in this area, the wildflowers, the migratory birds that travel through, the turtles and the fish life and the aquatic life. It's a gem that's in the center of Dallas that if anything we learned after COVID is the value of green space and the human spirit needs nature and green space from an engagement point of view. So we're going to be very intentional, but you said it, we have to be careful not to disrupt that natural eco beauty and engagement that happens. And we have a stewardship to provide accountability, but not to disrupt it in our design.

So, you know, we've been hearing about the Harold Simmons Park for probably 5, 10 years. Have you guys actually broken ground to actually get this off the ground now?

So this park has been in development for about over 20 years since the idea first came about, but thanks to the generosity of Annette Simmons, who wanted to provide a memorial for her husband, Harold Simmons, her gift of $50 million was just over six years ago. And the design, Tamara, has evolved tremendously. And I often draw the analogy of great wine. It takes time to make great wine. And so it takes time for us to get to this point with the design that we have. And your listeners can go to haroldsimmonspark.org, haroldsimmonspark.org, and we'll get a chance to see the visuals of the design. But Yeah, it's been a long time coming, but we're quite pleased with where we are. And to answer your question, I don't yet have a hard date because I'm waiting for that opportunity to share that. But I can confidently say that we will be breaking ground in this park in the latter part of this year.

Oh, that's very exciting. That's very exciting. One of the questions that I asked you prior to this was, you know, what challenges you have faced throughout your career and thus far, which have kind of helped you succeed, or as I like to call it, failing forward sometimes. And with this being, is this the largest project to date that you have worked on?

It is in terms of a single project in geography. In the Rwanda markets, we launched a few new parks and those are massive parks, but I wasn't in such a senior capacity in launching. Actually, SeaWorld of San Antonio, it was a SeaWorld park, which is the largest geography of a park, but I was not in such a capacity. So, in terms of responsibility and being at the home, this is the largest park in 250 acres. The gathering place was 100 acres. So, huge responsibility, important responsibility for Dallas and for the metro area. And we like to put it in perspective in saying, and this is very ambitious, Tamara, but as the Central Park is to New York by geography and scale, we think Harold Simmons Park has the potential to be that geography and not to take away anything from the rising tide of awesome parks being done in, as mentioned, Clyde Warren Park. Then there is a Southern Deck Park that's being built by the zoo. The folks from the Fair Park, Brian and his team is expanding their park area and there's a park for schedule for Plano. And so green space growth in Dallas Metro is at an all time high for its citizens from the live work balance. But yes, Harold Simmons Park, we hope by scale will be Dallas's version of their central park.

And, you know, that's I like that analogy. You know, I love Central Park. I mean, I know there are people that are like, you go to Central Park. I'm like, yes, it's one of the coolest places like on the planet. So to have that analogy and that correlation, that would be very, that would be very cool, really, to have that here. OK, so let's talk your career for a second, because it's impressive. And here, you know, you're here. One of the things that you said that I thought was Profound really, to be honest, was one should never assume that prior success always guarantees future success when when you answer to that question, right? Um. What were you thinking? Because that is a profound statement. A lot of people assume, because you've been very successful doing something in the past. Because I heard, I want to say, maybe it was Tom Brady who was talking about some of these football players that are struggling to be part of a team. And they end up leaving that team that they were a nightmare to the team on going to another team and just being rock stars because of the environment. How it plays a big part in that. So tell me, tell me your thoughts here on why you feel that way.

You know, it's, Whenever you're successful in doing something, you become marketable. And many times our motivations for doing different jobs vary. And sometimes an opportunity for growth, sometimes an opportunity, you know, when you're homegrown and you sometimes get diminished a little bit and you need fresh grounds to prove yourself. But it's also important when you go to a new environment to be eyes wide open and I'd almost say to be a little scared because it gives you a sense of accountability, gives you a sense of, allows you not to be complacent And so every situation, every culture, every environment is different. And what worked in the past doesn't always isn't guaranteed to work in the future. And so I think you have to go into those situations with a sense of high regard, of respect for for the environment, for the people there. And never assume that because you were a rock star elsewhere, you automatically be you have to earn it. And I will tell you, for me, Tamir, in moving with different organizations, the first six months is always an establishment window where they're checking you out and saying, hmm, let me see, is this guy the real deal? Am I getting what as a resume reads? And you have to uniquely respect each environment and find your way. I always say three things. Look, listen, learn before you lead. Look, listen, learn before you lead. and have a humble attitude about what you do. And so I use that, the fear of failure really to keep me grounded and humble in saying that, you know, you have to earn your new stay. And so, yeah, I'm just always cautious and always respectful when I go into a new environment, I gotta earn it.

Yeah, you hit a point really well here with culture. because the culture in Tulsa is very different than the culture in Dallas. Way different. Way different, right? And again, take that leap to Tampa and the culture is different in Tampa or Orlando. I mean, and while they're both Florida, there are very different cultures between, you know, just those two cities. Absolutely. But then you come Midwest Or Southwest, I guess we're more Southwest than we are Midwest, but the just the. the culture, right? We talk about Southern hospitality a lot here in the South. My husband is actually first-generation Bulgarian-American, but born and raised in Pittsburgh. So you have me, and you have him. And we go to Pittsburgh, and he's talking to the cashier at Walmart. And I was like, I'm so sorry. He really didn't mean it. And he's looking at me like I have lost my ever-loving mind. And she's looking at me like, what? And I was like, That was just a tad rude. He didn't mean it like that. She was like, oh, Lord, get this woman out of here. But when you step into a new team, if you're not bringing that team with you and you're stepping into people that are already there, I think a lot of leaders, it's refreshing to hear you talk about humility and servant leadership. Because I do think that sometimes leaders, they feel the pressure. of coming in and either being a fixer or coming in to have to make this huge project, or find the funds, or whatever that leader is being challenged with. And they feel that pressure. And you can't lead by pulling, as you know. So it's really refreshing to have you say you're leading this space, with look, listen, learn, and really work through this as a team here. Because I'll tell you, Dallas is very different. Dallas is really different than Fort Worth. I mean, so it's just even, and we're all in the same Metroplex.

So the challenge that you- I'm learning my way around that.

Yeah, it's a big space. I heard and saw a picture. I think it was somewhere online. Someone had taken the outline of the state of Connecticut and laid it over the DFW Metroplex. And the DFW Metroplex is bigger than the entire state of Connecticut. To put it into perspective for people who aren't from this area, Try driving in that with now 8.1 million people in this space and construction on every road. It's a nightmare for all of us.

fastest growing metro, I believe, and the forecast in the next 10 years to pass Chicago. And so, but what momentum of growth right from a live work play point and feel it with folks from both the East and the West Coast relocating here. There are challenges that come with that robust growth with housing and other issues, but an exciting place to be, an exciting market to be, and I'm happy to be here. But yeah, you're right. There's a lot to figure out here in how Dallas operates and how passionate Dallasites are about anything that impacts their city. And so I'm still learning.

Well I'm so excited about this Harold Simmons Park because like I said we've been hearing about this for a long time and I really kind of thought that it was maybe just a pipe dream but you're saying we're actually You know, adding to our infrastructure with green space, there's a lot of concrete in the Metroplex, a lot. And I mean, and they're putting more down because the infrastructure has to be able to, you know, we've got to be able to get around. So to not disrupt and still have a 250 acre green space in the middle of Dallas It's exciting, it's very exciting, and it's impressive for you guys being able to actually pull this off. It's impressive. What is the estimated budget? I know we've got the donation of $50 million. What is the projected budget that you guys are trying to stay in with this overall park?

So six years ago, when the gift was first awarded generously through Annette Simmons, at the time, the design was different, as mentioned, and it has evolved with time for all the right reasons. You know, when you build a public park, it's important, we call it a repeatable experience, in that it shouldn't be like, yeah, you know, I went to Harold Simmons Park, it was okay. Will you go back? Well, I'm not sure I will. It has to be a repeatable experience and it has to serve 2 functions. It has to be a destination or draw. Meaning drive markets that are coming in to Dallas with the expansion of the new convention center, but it also must serve as a community part where. community residents within walking, biking, jogging distance. And so it has evolved. Right now, including endowment for operations, and we're working with our city partners on our O&M, it's forecasted around $325 million apart. And the components of the park, when you go to haroldsimmonspark.org and see, it has several different experiences from playgrounds to skate parks to bike parks to sport courts to splash pads. Just the West Overlook alone, which is 22 acres, which will be our first build, has over 1,500 trees, over 3,000 shrubs, intended to minimize heat island impact, intended to have a strong nature appeal, but also intended to have a strong repeatability and fun for all. and we were fortunate to have Mike Goldman-Walkenberg, an associate out of New York, as the lead landscape architect, who also did Maggie Daly Park in Millennium Park, did Brooklyn Bridge Park, the McGavin Place, and now doing this park. And so the price tag is heavy, and we're in a good position and moving towards closing out that, as a closing out. We still have a ways to go in the campaign, but we're making great progress.

Yeah, so as far as fundraising goes for the park, how can our listeners help to donate? How can they help you guys in whatever small, large capacity? Because we never know who's listening, right? So, can they reach out to you? Can they go to the website? Where do we go if we want to do some donating? You never know. Somebody may be coming up on some who knows, right? You just never know.

No, I hope your high network listeners that are listening, Tamara, is like, hey, this park can truly be transformational for Dallas and the metro area. And it really can. Forecasted to 3 to 5 million visitors a year. That's a lot of visitors. And it's local and drive markets. And so it hits both sides of the coin. and has a conservative economic impact of six billion dollars over the next 30 years. So it's truly a transformational opportunity for Dallas and its metro area. And so we're at about one hundred and thirty million on a three hundred and twenty five campaign. And you can go to our website. There's a donate button, but we that you can go to our website to assist or you could simply go to the website and make contact with our advancement team. We have a chief advancement officer, Lindsey, that would be happy to speak to anyone that would like to be a part of this transformational project to really provide an opportunity And if I may say, Tamara, that where the parks located in the levee, it connects East Dallas and West Dallas. And the levees, the 30 foot levees that were constructed for safe passage of water for flood mitigation, unfortunately provided this barrier. And so the economics between East Dallas and West Dallas is different. The lifespan for residents between East Dallas and West Dallas is different. The economic earning power is different. And so we have this opportunity where nature can unite Dallas In the East and the West and South and North, and so it's, it's a park with a mission. It's a park where everyone feels welcome. And we believe true that it will truly be transformational and similar missions to the gathering place in Tulsa. And we were fortunate to be able to deliver on that. And so we're working with community and civic leaders and we are disciplined and intentional that we will deliver on that mission here for Dallas and its metro markets as well.

Well, it's exciting. I mean, one of the questions I asked you was, what is your big, audacious, hairy goal? And you were like, breaking ground. Get us to breaking ground. I mean, that's exciting. So I also ask you, what is one thing that a lot of people don't know about you that is very interesting? And I love your answer. So share with us what that answer was.

So I am trying to reflect back on the answer I gave. I think I said I like cars, anything with wheels on it. I'm a car nut and I love that a lot. I wouldn't say I'm a closet NASCAR fan because I actually went to the Texas Motor Speedway and then went to two races since I've been here. What else did I say, Tamara?

I think I said something else. You love cars. You're a huge Dallas Mavericks fan, which I think is awesome. And Mark Cuban would probably be really happy, too, to know that you're a huge Dallas Mavericks fan. but that you also played semi-pro soccer when you were in high school.

Yeah, so I actually went to high school in Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica. I went to a high school called Middlebrook High, and we had an English coach, an Englishman, that really instilled in us discipline and mental preparation. And we had an era there that we had a team that was at the semi-pro level. When I came to Florida, I had an opportunity. I went to Central Florida, University of Central Florida, but I had the opportunity to go to the same university that Mr. Rogers went, Rollins College. And I often question myself if I made the right decision, but instead of pursuing the ability to play there, I chose to work. because I was getting promoted so quickly in the park systems. And so I oftentimes kicked myself and said, ah, maybe I should have done a little bit. I did play one season for Valencia College, but that was the extent of my soccer playing here. But huge fan of FC Dallas and the great work they're doing and what that soccer means to the community here in Dallas Metro.

There's been a ton of growth in the soccer arena. I mean, you know, the Dallas Cowboys, obviously, right? Big football. And, and the fact that we call our American football, football, but then soccer in other parts of the world are called football. I mean, so, but the soccer, both for men and for women, that's right. Soccer has gained so much ground in the last 10 years.

It will more, pardon for interrupting, but the World Cup that's coming here in Dallas with I think the semifinals being played at Cowboy Stadium is huge.

Yeah. Yeah, it's exciting. So when I saw that on your papers, I was like, this is exciting just because there's been so much growth. The whole metro area, there's been just really since COVID, since there's been all of this shifting from the East Coast and West Coast coming into more of the central area of the country and all of the growth that we're all having. It's a lot. And, you know, with this, this big perk, you know, coming into existence and it not being, you know, we're not talking about it anymore. We're actually making it happen. You're making it happen, Tamara. I'm very excited and I am incredibly proud to know you, Mr. Tony Moore, and to have you on the show today. Um, how, what is the best way for our listeners to get in touch with you?

So they could go to our website at haroldsimmonspark.org. They could follow us on social media, both on Facebook, on Instagram. I also have a following there as well. We're looking really, this is impactful for the entire Dallas Metro. Absolutely. And so we're excited in how this will help to the, we call it the live work play dynamics for all the folks that are living here. and just really excited about it and truly excited about where things are going in Dallas right now.

Well, and we are grateful to have you at the helm of this project. I can tell you right now, you are the right man for the job, so we're excited to have you. Welcome, welcome, obviously. We are a little proud here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, so we're very glad we have you from Tulsa now. And congratulations, because this is going to be, it's going to be a really good thing for you, not just for your career, but I think for you personally. I think you're going to have a lot of fun with this project. So thank you so much for joining us today and having this conversation with us. It's very exciting.

Thank you for having me on behalf of my board and my staff. We have an awesome group of teammates that we work on this project. We enjoy what we do. And we are going to deliver this for Dallas and the metro areas. And Tamara, thank you for having me sincerely. And thank you for all the kind words and the encouragement and the warm welcome to Dallas. Excited to be here.

Well, it's great. All right, everybody. This is Everything is Up with Tamara and Tony Moore. Make sure you guys like, share the podcast, and reach out to Tony on LinkedIn or at haroldsimmonspark.org. If you guys have any questions, thank you again, and everybody have a great day.

Thanks so much for tuning in to this episode of everything is up Be sure to appreciate it If you haven't done so already make sure you're subscribed to the show wherever you consume podcast this way You'll get updates as new episodes become available and remember.