Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Green.
Tara, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Many career path takes twists and turns one never expects and mine is no different. I knew I wanted to work in the sports industry while in college at UNC but was not sure how to make that happen. Fortunately, I was introduced to a Master’s Degree program at Ohio University for Sports Administration. Getting my master’s at Ohio opened doors to a wide network of alumni and led me to a job with World Cup USA 1994 in Dallas.
Dallas quickly became home and I am so fortunate to have worked my entire career in one city. I met my husband here, got married and we raised our children here. We both worked in the sports industry which meant we understood each other’s crazy schedules and what it means to be “in season.” I was fortunate to work in the UNT Athletic Department after the World Cup. My responsibilities included marketing, event and gameday production and sales.
UNT prepared me for an opportunity with the Sports Marketing Department at the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau which is now called the Dallas Sports Commission. It was there that I met lifelong friends and mentors and was able to work bringing sports events to Dallas for 11 years like Super Bowl XLV, multiple Big 12 Championships in football, men’s and women’s basketball, NCAA volleyball, soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, and a multitude of amateur and Olympic sporting events.
This work allowed me to be part of the Super Bowl XLV Host Committee but that meant leaving the DCVB and working on the Super Bowl full time for three years. I was fortunate to work with some of the most amazing Dallas leaders during that time, including Roger Staubach and Bill Lively. I thank them for the opportunity to be part of something so historic.
After the Super Bowl, I joined the amazing team at the American Airlines Center, working as the Chief Revenue Officer which was a brand new position at the time. My role there was to strengthen the existing revenue streams and work to find new ones. Little did I know that this was preparing me for my next role as President of Klyde Warren Park, where I spent five years working with the most incredible, dedicated staff t0 help shape the park into the treasure it is today.
And now, I am a proud member of the OJB Landscape Architecture team. I would have never predicted that my sports and hospitality background would have prepared me to run a park built over a freeway or that meeting the incredible design team that brought that park vision to life would lead to my current role as Principal of Program Development. I now get to merge all of my previous experiences to help our clients realize the full potential of their parks and open space. Our work transforms cities and communities for the better. We create places where memories are made, celebrations are held and communities come together in unity and equity. And I get to help our clients figure out how to put a team together to operate and maintain the park, how to achieve the goals that were set for the space and how to ensure the business model is set up to succeed. One job led to another and I am so blessed for all of the experiences I had to led me to where I am today working for Jim Burnett and the rest of the most talented designers/urban planners/landscape architects at OJB.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I do not think that any career path worth taking is ever going to be smooth the entire time. It is how we react and recover when we meet obstacles and challenges that will shape us into better leaders, employees and friends. There were many times early in my career when I was the only woman in the room and worked hard to be seen as an equal. There were times when I was the youngest person in the room full of civic and business leaders and I had to learn the value of reading the room, knowing when to talk and when to wait. Working in sales and revenue generation is difficult – you hear no a lot more than yes, so building a thick skin and learning discernment is key. Ultimately, I learned how to be comfortable being myself and not try to be like someone else. Overcoming those obstacles and challenges helped me do that.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the OJB Landscape Architecture Story. Tell us more about your work.
OJB Landscape Architecture is a collective landscape and urban planning practice inspired to create beauty and find unexpected moments in the natural world. Jim Burnett started the company in 1989 in Houston and we have grown to 90+ professionals in five offices across the US – Boston, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia and Solana Beach. OJB values the human condition and the importance of community. Transforming public spaces is central to our mission. The work weaves together ecology and play, celebrates discovery and delight in the landscape, and allows people to connect to the natural work in new ways.
The firm has been recognized with nearly 100 significant national and international awards, including three ULI Open Space Awards and the 2020 National Design Award for Landscape Architecture from Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian National Design Museum. We believe that landscapes can inspire, restore, and heal the soul. We design landscapes that promote healthy living. We are committed to the transformation of cities and we seek innovation through collaborative research. Simply put, we create unique and unforgettable experiences.
What were you like growing up?
Athletic, determined but maybe a little reserved until I got to know someone. I was interested in proving I could do whatever I set my mind to and asked a lot of questions. I always wanted to know what the “why” or reason was behind the answers I was given.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1845 Woodall Rodgers Freeway
Suite 1200 Dallas, TX 75201 - Website: www.ojb.com
- Phone: 9724746990
- Email: tgreen@ojb.com
- Instagram: @ojbla
- Facebook: @OJBLandscapeArchitecture
- Twitter: @ojbla
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