Today we’d like to introduce you to Dusti Groskreutz.
Dusti, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My experience encompasses more than 27 years of managing, operations, guest services, facilities, retail, marketing, engineering, training, construction and redesign, capital planning and events – all involving retail and tourist destinations.
I got my start in the tourism industry while working my way through college at Seattle’s Space Needle – it was my summer job and turned into a fulltime career. I’m curious and have a passion for learning so as I worked, I also volunteered to help in other departments or on committees to expand my knowledge base. As my skillset continued to grow, I shadowed all kinds of attraction operations and gained more responsibility in supervising, budgeting, capital improvements and construction. I worked nearly a decade in retail and I really loved the buying, merchandising and selling side of that business, but then I was presented with an opportunity to take over the Attractions business unit, consisting of Operations, Guest Services, Engineering and Housekeeping as the Operations Manager. After much thought, and many conversations, I decided to branch out of my comfort zone to accept this new position and realized I was quickly able to use my existing knowledge immediately and apply it to the new role.
While managing the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington for 20 years, I had my own consulting business, The Devil is in the Details, where I provided solutions to small and mid-size businesses. I made a shift in 2010 to focus full-time on my consulting business and my growing family, then in 2013 moved to Dallas to join the remodeling and rebranding efforts of the iconic Reunion Tower.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In 2011, I began work as a consultant to assist in renovating, rebranding and reopening Reunion Tower, which had been closed for seven years. It was like starting a company from scratch in a very short time period. One major aspect of the role was to design the business operations for the indoor/outdoor observation deck, now known as the GeO-Deck. Everything from the operations plan, building hours, staffing plans, ingress/egress, photo and ticketing systems, cash controls and signage had to be designed with the needs of the guests, employees and many partners in mind.
I primarily worked via conference calls or web meetings and flew down a couple days every other month to meet vendors or see how the site was progressing. The renovation task force was very inclusive and had members from all work streams included on calls or in meetings. As I met other players and they learned about my background, I received more and more questions about various components of the project, and was asked to take on additional responsibilities and to travel to Dallas more frequently. It wasn’t long before I was being asked to “throw my hat in the ring” for the General Manager position, I can’t believe this now, but originally, I declined! As the renovation progressed toward opening day and I spent more time in Dallas, got to know all the team-centric entities working on the project, the Hunt family and employees…and one late night phone call from Ray Hunt himself asking me to join the team, I knew I just couldn’t resist this opportunity.
A lot of people in the DFW metroplex and beyond don’t realize that the Tower is owned by Hunt Realty Investments and is comprised of multiple operating companies (before and after the renovation). Rebuilding the awareness of the icon that is Reunion Tower is an ongoing process and I am thrilled to be the biggest brand ambassador for the company to provide awareness for, and education about our beloved Dallas icon every day!
Please tell us about Reunion Tower.
The indoor/outdoor observation deck, called the GeO-Deck, opened in the fall of 2013. It’s the only indoor/outdoor observation deck in the city with unique views of Dallas and surrounding communities. Our guests are greeted by modern fixtures and interactive exhibits, so they have the opportunity to discover hidden gems, historic landmarks, museums, parks and more around growing Downtown area, and as far away as Fort Worth.
Our mission is to ensure an engaging, exhilarating and memorable experience for each guest, every time and we do that by providing amazing service inside the Tower. We make memories for this, and future generations, and I love to hear stories from families that visit the GeO-Deck (especially when the parents remember visiting the Tower when they were little)! The Tower also serves as Dallas’ tallest cheerleader with its nightly light shows that congratulate our sports teams and alert Dallasites to important city-wide events. Reunion Tower is a special part of the Dallas community, and we have a responsibility to ensure that residents and visitors enjoy their time upstairs, interacting with us on social media, or spending a Saturday night outside with food trucks and music at one of our summer Reunion Lawn Parties.
My team works hard, and I am proud of the accomplishments we have made in the industry in a short amount of time. In addition to being accepted into the World Federation of Great Towers (WGFT), since 2015 we have received multiple nominations and awards for our social media persona “The Ball,” our public relations program, and technology innovations from International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) and WFGT.
Pricing:
- Adults – $17
- Seniors (65+) – $14
- Youth (4-12) – $8 (Children under 3 are free)
Contact Info:
- Address: 300 Reunion Blvd E, Dallas, TX 75207
- Website: www.reuniontower.com
- Phone: (214) 712-7040
- Email: info@reuniontower.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reuniontower/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reuniontower
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReunionTower?ref_src=twsrcgoogletwcampserptwgrauthor
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/reuniontower/
Image Credit:
Reunion Tower
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
