Kourtny Garrett
August 14, 2020 — People
President & CEO, Downtown Dallas, Inc.
Kourtny Garrett was named President & CEO of Dallas, Inc. in January 2017, and has been dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Dallas in various roles with the organization since 2002.
Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI) is a private, nonprofit organization serving as the primary advocate and champion for Downtown, ensuring that Downtown grows as a vibrant center of urban life, recognized locally and globally for the quality of its business, hospitality, entertainment, living, and cultural environments. With a resume that spans more than 20 years in the development of livable communities, Ms. Garrett’s passion for strong and kinetic city centers carries from Dallas to abroad.
Ms. Garrett is a fellow of the German Marshall Fund, an international organization serving to improve transatlantic relations and address international policy initiatives focused on improving our cities and communities, and she has previously served on the Board of Directors of the International Downtown Association. Locally, she serves on the Board of Directors for Children’s Medical Center, and formerly served on the Board of Directors for the Dallas Regional Chamber, VisitDallas, AIA-Dallas, Dallas Hertiage Village, the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority, The Arts Community Alliance, and Friends of the Santa Fe Trail. In 2018, Ms. Garrett was awarded with honorary membership by AIA-Dallas.
Ms. Garrett has authored a number of papers and presentations related to innovation in public-private partnerships, women in city-building roles, the politics of urban planning, urbanism in practice and management, and many topics and trends related specifically to Downtown Dallas.
She is a member of the 2008-2009 class of the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Leadership Dallas program. In 2009, Ms. Garrett was named to the Dallas Business Journal’s list of “40 Under Forty” local leaders and she has been named to D CEO’s “Dallas 500: The Most Powerful Business Leaders in Dallas- Fort Worth” for the last four years.
Prior to joining the Downtown Dallas, Inc. team, Ms. Garrett was the Community Relations Manager at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. Her career began at Southlake Town Square (a mixed-use lifestyle center) supporting the lead developer, Cooper & Stebbins L.P., by activating the center with community programs, building the tenant base for the district and creating public support for the development.
Ms. Garrett graduated Magna Cum Laude with honors from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, with B.A’s in Communication Arts and English Literature. She is currently pursuing an MA in Urban Affairs at the University of Texas Arlington.