I truly enjoy life
Robin D. Everson, Online Editor
Issue date: 4/27/09 Section: Person of the Week
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Born the eldest of three, raised in a working class neighborhood in Stillwater, Okla., Richland Facilities Director, Eddie Hueston did the things you would expect a young boy to do. A neighbor sparked his passion for nature by mentoring local kids in a junior horticulture club. Eddie was hooked.
In his junior year at Oklahoma State University, he changed his major from business to horticulture. He was young, married with a baby, and not doing well academically. He struggled, working after school, at night and on weekends to make ends meet. His mentor encouraged him to apply for a scholarship which he received from the Tulsa Council of Garden Clubs. That enabled him to stay in school and finish his education.
AS A YOUNG SAPLING
Right out of college he worked in Plainview (Hale County), Texas as a landscape designer. He managed the nursery and garden center and designed landscape areas for banks, churches and the atrium of a medical center.
Hueston moved back to Tulsa and worked for the Department of Agriculture as a field agent. He also taught horticulture in the evenings at Tulsa Junior College.
Hueston was promoted and worked at the Oklahoma City Capitol as a marketing specialist for horticultural products. In this position, he helped farmers get their produce to market and also wrote a book Developing Emerging Markets to find new ways to market pecans and other produce in Oklahoma.
A GROWING TREE
As Hueston continued his professional growth, he worked for the Tulsa Park System where he designed and supervised the installation of landscape in the parks. He spoke to the public about helping match private and city funds to create beautifully landscaped public parks. He was promoted to superintendent of parks, a position he held for 10 years.
"It was good times. It was 1979 and an economically prosperous time for the country," said Hueston.
Seeking larger opportunities, Hueston moved his family to Dallas and took a job with the City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Department. The director did a massive reorganization of the department and Hueston, at 36, was named superintendent of park maintenance. He became the assistant director of parks and recreation and was put in charge of 20 recreation centers, all the parks, creeks and lakes. Through another reorganization, Hueston supervised all of Dallas east of Central Expressway, south of Northwest Highway and all of south Dallas.
That wasn't the end of the growing changes.
His supervisor told him that he was needed to manage Fair Park.
"It was in a shambles. Different agencies didn't get along and many had forgotten that our focus was to serve the community," Hueston said.
He took the position as executive general manager on the condition that his secretary, Judy Davis, could go with him.
PLANTING TREES IN GROVES, NOT ROWS
Managing a 277-acre park with nearly 750,000 square feet of enclosed leasable space was no easy task.
"I had to get people talking and agreeing to work together," Hueston said.
Hueston also had to improve the grounds. Meetings with architects and site visits to comparable park spaces in California helped Hueston draft a master plan, which received funding from a city bond election.
Even though the history of Fair Park dates
back to 1886, many of the structures were built in 1936 for the Texas Centennial Exposition. These buildings were constructed in less than two years and were built to last for only a year.
Hueston worked with city and state leaders and Craig Holcomb, the executive director of the Friends of Fair Park, to raise money to recreate sculptures and restore murals that were part of the park's history.
Through public and private funds the buildings and grounds at Fair Park underwent a transformation to restore them to their original 1936 glory. Along with restoration, additional buildings were erected to broaden the appeal of the Park.
Hueston and his staff worked countless hours planning and supervising the projects, including the African-American museum, the IMAX theatre, an addition to the Science Place, and the restoration of the Centennial building, the Food and Fiber building, the Women's Museum, the Band Shell and the Tower building.
"The Women's Museum was in serious disrepair with holes in the roof large enough to drop a Volkswagen through it," Hueston said.
"Cathy Bonner, former governor Ann Richard's secretary of commerce in Austin, raised $20 million to restore and create the Women's Museum," Hueston said.
TENDING THE GROVES
The Cotton Bowl, originally a horseracing track, was also in need of renovations. Hueston, along with others, wanted to bring the 1994 World Cup Soccer tournament to Dallas.
Hueston had to convince a strong member of the State Fair board that real grass would be beneficial to the Cotton Bowl.
Traditionally, events at the Cotton Bowl were on Astroturf. In order to secure the World Cup contract, the Cotton Bowl's Astroturf would have to come up and real grass would have to be laid.
"I worked 24 hours straight with John Ware, the Dallas city manger, and negotiated the World Cup USA contract. We hosted six games at the Cotton Bowl," Hueston said.
He is especially proud of his work in bringing the Cirque du Soleil troupe to Dallas. Four Cirque troupes: Quidam, Corteo, Dralion and Varekai have performed at the Park.
"Eddie was responsible for bringing the Catherine the Great and Titantic exhibits to the Park," said Daniel Huerta, assistant director over Fair Park and community services. "He was very focused on the customer experience and how they viewed the Park."
During Hueston's tenure other major attractions, like music legends BB King, Eric Clampton, U2 and the Rolling Stones came to Fair Park.
Hueston has had his share of tragedies. He lost his only son in a hit-and-run, drunk-driving accident. Later, while courting his wife, Bonnie, Hueston was brutally stabbed during a robbery. In sharing these unfortunate life events, Hueston has this thought: "You want to wake up from this dream, . . . reach deep into your faith. . . whatever faith you have. Know that life will go on. It is painful, . . . but will lessen in time, . . . time does help heal some of the pain. It takes time."
WATCHING THE TREES BLOOM
Hueston met his wife, Bonnie, when she was a student intern at the University of North Texas working for the Dallas Park System.
"I was fascinated about her ideas and her energy," said Hueston.
Bonnie had earned her associate's degree from Mountain View College and later worked there as the assistant to the president. She currently works as the Dean of Educational Transitions at Richland. Eddie and Bonnie were married in the cafeteria at Mountain View 20 years ago this May.
"It was a dark and stormy night. We had to stop and wait a few times for the thunder to be over in order to hear the ceremony, . . . plus the smell of barbeque for the Reception, . . . it was a wonderful evening," Hueston said.
PLAYING WITH THE DUCKS
Hueston had worked as an adjunct instructor at Tulsa Junior College for seven years and at Richland for three. "I believe strongly in education," Hueston said. Both his daughters and son attended college.
"I was fascinated by the interests of the students. It caused me to study and research," said Hueston.
He took students on field trips to the zoo, arboretum and garden center.
"I grew up in a college town. I always wanted to work on a college campus. As I was nearing retirement, I thought, 'I'm not through yet. I enjoy working with people,'" said Hueston.
Bonnie told him about the position at Richland and he applied.
"I discovered I was following a legend, Wes Hayes, who had set up the system [at Richland]," Hueston said.
Hayes retired to work on special projects for the college.
LEAVES THAT TOUCH THE SKY
At Richland, Hueston supervises the day-to-day operations of the campus, and co-chairs GREENRichland, a coalition of students, faculty and staff who promote sustainability. He has been a United States Green Building Council (USGBC) attendee for three years.
"In attending the USBGC conferences, I learned about the leading edge of sustaining building design and techniques," Hueston said.
He believes this has helped him "Green" the campus, and play an integral role in the design of the new LEED Platinum science building due to open in the Spring of 2010.
Hueston also has had his crews install native plants that use less water.
"I realize how much I enjoy the atmosphere working for an organization that is continually reinventing itself," Hueston said.
"I truly enjoy life - working with people, making incremental changes for the better," Hueston said.
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