By Sofia Vasquez

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Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson has put forth a slate of names for key organizations that shape the city’s transportation, tourism, and economic strategy, tapping various local leaders for roles that could steer the city’s future. Yesterday, the mayor announced a set of appointments for the Regional Transportation Council (RTC), the Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition (DRMC), and Visit Dallas, as reported by the City of Dallas.

The list of appointees for the RTC is headlined by Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno and includes Councilmembers Paul Ridley, who also serves as the chair of the Dallas City Council Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Lorie Blair, Cara Mendelsohn, Kathy Stewart, and William Tsao, with alternate representatives Councilmember Bill Roth, Highland Park Councilmember Marc Myers, and Dan Micciche to back them up, a move suggesting the city’s intent to exert greater influence over regional transport policy, which encompasses decisions that range from road improvements to the integration of new mobility technologies. Mayor Johnson underscored the need for Dallas to have a “strong voice” in these bodies to push the city’s interests forward, according to the announcement.

On another transport-related front, the DRMC will see Ridley, Blair, and Mendelsohn taking seats, indicating continuity in the city’s approach to regional mobility advocacy and strategic investment. Meanwhile, the tourism sector gets a nod with Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno’s appointment to the Visit Dallas Board of Directors, a role central to promoting Dallas as a top-tier destination for travelers—both business and leisure—a sector crucial for the city’s economic vitality.

Mayor Johnson expressed his expectations firmly, stating, per the City of Dallas, “I expect all my appointees to represent Dallas with excellence and deliver great results for our city, and have every confidence that they will do so.” The appointment announcement is a clear signal of Dallas’s ambition to shape its destiny within the broader regional context these organizations’ missions reflect the interconnection of transport, economic growth, and the quality of life for Dallas residents, the RTC focuses on policymaking within the North Texas Council of Governments, the DRMC is a united front for regional mobility projects, and Visit Dallas serves as an independent marketer for the city.