Fort Worthies Building a Brighter Future

With the launch of Madeworthy, we wanted to have a page dedicated to local people, places, and events that add to our city. Originally called “Be Seen,” this page was renamed “Fort Worthies” in our first anniversary issue. Here are the Fort Worthies we featured in our Building a Better Future 2022 issue.

Photo courtesy Kevin Fejii/JPS Network

On January 1, Dr. Karen Duncan became the President and CEO of JPS Health Network. In doing so, she also became the only female CEO of a major health system in North Texas. Prior to becoming CEO, Dr. Duncan served as the network’s COO for five years. In that time, she transformed the community health network of medical homes and clinics and steered the implementation of the JPS Future Plan. Congratulations, Dr. Duncan!

Photo courtesy of Near Southside, Inc.

South Main Village is getting a new public space! The public alley connecting South Main Street and Bryan Avenue is too narrow for car traffic, so it will be reimagined as The South Main Squeeze, a “lively public patio.” Adjacent businesses have collaborated with Near Southside, Inc. to come up with an adaptable and flexible design that will serve all. It will also provide a direct pedestrian connection to The Skinny, the public park on Crawford Street.

photo credit: Amber Shumake

Vision boards can be an incredibly powerful tool for you or your team to visualize your future and the steps needed to achieve that future. In the creation of a vision board, possibilities and desires become clear. The board creates a space for creativity, precision, and excitement. Lynette Kile is a certified life coach for overwhelmed moms who also hosts vision board workshops for teams and groups of 10 or more people, either virtually or in person throughout DFW.  

Fire Station Park is getting a facelift! The skatepark design experts, New Line Skateparks, have been working with landscape architect firm Pacheco Koch and the city of Fort Worth to design a new children’s bike track for the park located at 1616 Hemphill. It will be a closed-loop practice track with rolling berms and other elements, along with banked turns for wheels of all types. The construction was about to start at the time of publication, so stay tuned!

photo credit: Kristin Phatthong

Born and raised in El Salvador, sustainable living was part of Erika Pitstick’s life from an early age. While helping with the garden and family farms, Erika perfected how to make the most of a budget while reducing her carbon footprint. After moving to California for college and settling down with her husband in Texas, Erika found ways to intertwine her culture, intentional upbringing, and love for the outdoors with her family’s daily life. She offers insights into a sustainable lifestyle on her blog, and her book, Taking Roots at Home, will be published in March!

Following a series of strongly supportive community meetings and presentations to City Council, a development agreement for a major mixed-use development in Evans & Rosedale village are moving forward. A wide range of new housing options, retail storefronts, restaurants, a proposed grocery store, small business spaces, and a major expansion of public park space would be developed on property currently owned by the City of Fort Worth and affiliated entities. Upon construction, the City of Fort Worth and Hoque Global believe that the Evans & Rosedale mixed-use development will lead the way for growth and more investment in this part of town. Construction is slated to begin later in 2022.