Klyde Warren Park has selected longtime Dallas civic leader Calvert Collins-Bratton as its next president and CEO, placing an experienced fundraiser at the helm as the downtown deck park prepares for a roughly $200 million expansion.
The appointment takes effect September 1, the park announced on July 23. Collins-Bratton will oversee operations, programming, fundraising, strategic partnerships and long-term planning for the 5.4-acre park.
She will succeed Kit Sawers, who will begin work August 3 as CEO of the new Dallas Office at SMU and a university vice president.
Collins-Bratton most recently served as chief relationships officer at Communities Foundation of Texas, where she led charitable-giving specialists and corporate philanthropy efforts. She previously led communications and strategic events for Methodist Health System Foundation after more than a decade as a television reporter and anchor.
Her ties to Klyde Warren Park span more than a decade. As chair of the Dallas Park and Recreation Board, she advocated for public-space projects across the city. She also supported the park as a donor. Former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert led the foundation’s executive search.
“Few people understand the significance and potential of Klyde Warren Park as deeply as Calvert does,” Jody Grant, chairman of the foundation’s board of directors, said in the announcement. “She has been an advocate for public spaces throughout Dallas, a trusted philanthropic leader, and a longtime supporter of the Park.”
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the expansion will add 1.7 acres west toward Field Street. Plans include a 24,000-square-foot glass-and-steel event pavilion, an 8,000-square-foot rooftop terrace and a 37,000-square-foot lawn that can become an ice-skating rink during the winter. Project officials expect construction to begin this fall and finish in late 2028.
“Klyde Warren Park is one of Dallas’ great success stories and one of the most beloved gathering places in our city,” Collins-Bratton said. “The park demonstrates the transformative power of public spaces, and I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this extraordinary organization.”
Provided by Dallas Express
