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NEWSWORTHY
DR. VICTORIA FARRAR-MYERS IS NAMED THE WINNER OF THE 2020 LEADERSHIP ARLINGTON SALLY KALLAM AWARD
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eadership Arlington recently announced Dr. Victoria A. Farrar-Myers as the 2020 recipient of the Sally Kallam Award. This award recognizes an Arlington leader and alumnus of Leadership Arlington who best emulates the ideals of leadership through efforts devoted to Leadership Arlington and the community. Dr. Farrar-Myers has served as an at-large representative on the Arlington City Council (District 7) since 2016 and as Deputy Mayor since 2018. In this role, she has spearheaded Arlington’s efforts Dr. Victoria Farrar-Myers on human services and workforce issues like access to and quality of childcare and housing as well as promoting small businesses throughout the city. Her commitment to her community, though, started well before being elected to City Council. She has twice served on the Leadership Arlington Board of Directors, including as President in 2016-2017. She has also volunteered and taken on leadership roles in other civic organizations in the city, such as the Arlington Rotary Club, Arlington Education Foundation, and Junior League of Arlington, and had a successful career teaching and mentoring thousands of students as a Professor of Political Science at the University of Texas at Arlington. This year of 2020 has been a year of “new” for everyone, and Leadership Arlington has pivoted during this time, as well – for example, with this year’s Youth and Adult classes graduating in a “drive-thru” ceremony on the campus of UTA. Similarly, Leadership Arlington had to inform Victoria that she was this year’s deserving recipient of the Kallam Award through a surprise Zoom call. The organization hopes to recognize Dr. Farrar-Myers’ accomplishments formally at the 2021 Leadership Arlington graduation ceremony. The Leadership Arlington Sally Kallam Award was first presented to and named after Sally Kallam, the organization’s first Executive Director. The award recipients over the years reads like a “Who’s Who of Arlington,” and the organization is honored to add Dr. Victoria Farrar-Myers’ name to the list. To see the complete list of Kallam Award winners, go to: leadershiparlingtontx.org/sally-kallam-award.html. 28
ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2020 • arlingtontoday.com
MICHAEL GLASPIE FIELD ATHLETIC COMPLEX WILL GIVE AISD THREE HIGH SCHOOL STADIUMS
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he Arlington ISD Board of Trustees last month approved the schematic design for the future Michael Glaspie Field Athletic Complex. This Bond 2019 project will renovate the existing practice field at Martin High School and convert it into the Arlington ISD’s third competition field. The new athletic field at Martin was included in the 2019 Bond because the district needs three competition fields for its six high schools. Arlington ISD owns Wilemon Field at Sam Houston High School and Cravens Field at Lamar High School, but it rented UTA Maverick Stadium for its third competition field. However, Arlington ISD no longer has access to UTA Maverick Stadium and needs a replacement competition venue. The new field at Martin will provide that third varsity competition field and serve as the home for Martin and Seguin high schools. The new stadium, being designed by VLK Architects, will include approximately 10,000 seats, a larger press box, locker rooms, restrooms and concessions. Architects are being careful to consider the campus’ existing layout, neighbors, traffic flow – cars, school buses and pedestrians – and parking in their design. They have included a landscape buffer between the stadium and neighboring homes and will utilize modern LED lighting. The LED lighting is significantly better than traditional lighting in that it can be directed into the stadium and onto the playing surface more efficiently, has considerably less spillage from the venue and can be turned on and off quickly. “The district’s newest competition stadium incorporates the foundation of the existing Martin High School stadium with new and improved features to improve access throughout the site for students and the community,” says Kelly Horn, Arlington ISD executive director of plant services. “The larger venue allows the district to host larger events and accommodate larger district crowds with easier access to locker rooms, restrooms and concessions. Utilizing an existing site also reduces costs and time for construction.”
