The Gift of Hope

Generous Dallasites turn out for Frost Bank's donation drive-through

Dallasites in the mood to give had a worthy place to direct their energy on November 29: the Frost Bank and CultureMap donation drop-off, benefiting Genesis Women's Shelter & Support.

Bags upon bags of coats, hats, gloves, toiletries, and masks were handed over at Pacific Plaza during the two-hour event, and those who donated received a few surprises in return.

If you showed up with five or more items to give you were handed a Frost It Forward card, the idea being that you'd spread optimism and use the money to pay it forward to someone else.

The generous gesture from Frost Bank echoed the Optimism Starts With You mural, which served as the backdrop to the donation event. The mural's artist, Mari Pohlman aka Marpohl, even dropped by with her own items to donate.

Those who attended the donation drive-through also got a head start on entering the social media contest by snapping a selfie by the mural and using #OptForOptimism to enter.

If you'd like a shot at winning a one-night staycation at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel and $100 to spend at downtown Dallas businesses, there's still time. Get your post up before December 31, when we'll pick one lucky winner.

The items received from the event are more important than ever to Genesis Women's Shelter, which provides safety, shelter, and support for women who have experienced domestic violence, and raises awareness regarding its cause, prevalence, and impact.

Genesis was founded in 1984 with a goal to not only shelter and support women who have been victims of domestic violence, but also raise awareness regarding its cause and impact — with a hope to one day completely eradicate domestic violence. In the last year alone, Genesis saw 3,700 women and children at its emergency shelter, transitional housing apartments, and nonresidential counseling office.

Recessions like the one caused by the pandemic, coupled with stay-at-home orders and quarantine measures, can be particularly challenging for women and children trapped in abusive homes. Donations like the ones received here make a huge impact for women and children seeking a safe way out of dangerous situations.

If you missed the event but would still like to contribute to Genesis’ important mission, please make a donation this holiday season.

Everyone who donated five or more items received a Frost It Forward card to help spread optimism.

Courtesy photo

Everyone who donated five or more items received a Frost It Forward card to help spread optimism.

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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