Leadership

LEADERSHIP

Honorary Chairperson

Robert Wilonsky

Dallas Morning News

Robert Wilonsky is a city columnist for The Dallas Morning News. He also hosts Intentional Grounding on KTCK Sports Radio 1310 AM and 96.7 FM "The Ticket", as well as Big Bob's Christmas Spectacular each Christmas Eve on same station.

Prior to The Dallas Morning News, Wilonsky served as feature writer, music editor, film critic, sports columnist and pop culture editor for the Dallas Observer as well as supervising the launch of and editing the paper’s weblog, Unfair Park. Prior, he was with the Dallas Times-Herald from the time he graduated college until the paper ceased publication in 1991, and worked once with the Los Angeles New Times.

Wilonsky has also been the host of HDNet’s talk show Higher Definition, was host of The Ultimate Trailer Show on HDNET, has been a frequent guest on The Hardline, an afternoon show on KTCK contributing pop culture analysis and commentary, was published in Salon and American Way, and has appeared as a guest critic on At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper.

Wilonsky was born in Dallas, graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School where he was an avid swimmer and cheerleader, and then graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. During his senior year, he was managing editor of The Daily Texan.

Emcee

Andy Taft is a native of Tampa, Florida and graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in Marketing. He began his career in commercial real estate with the Florida Commercial Development Association and then joined Grubb & Ellis of Florida as a commercial real estate salesman in the downtown Tampa market. In 1992, he joined the Tampa Downtown Partnership as its Director of Marketing and Business Development.

Andy Taft

President

Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.

Andy served Shreveport, Louisiana’s Downtown Development Authority for six years as its Executive Director and while there was instrumental in relocating City Hall back to downtown, created a new public parking management program and authored the downtown strategic plan. Andy was Chairman of the United Way of NW Louisiana in 2001. Andy was also the President of Downtown Shreveport Unlimited and the Downtown Shreveport Development Corporation.

Andy joined Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. (Texas) as President in 2003. DFWI is Fort Worth’s downtown advocacy organization and it manages the downtown planning process, two Public Improvement Districts, the downtown Tax Increment Finance District, two city parks, the MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and Parade of Lights. DFWI recently developed the JFK Tribute in Fort Worth and is currently working to renovate and reopen Heritage Plaza. Andy is a past Chairman of the International Downtown Association, President of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth and serves on the Board of the National Civic League.