Uptown Dallas, Inc. has hired Kelem Butts to serve as the organization’s new executive director beginning July 1. An Uptown Dallas resident for 24 years, Butts brings extensive corporate and nonprofit expertise to the role, including serving on the UDI Board of Directors as Public Safety Chair for the last five years.

Noelle LeVeaux has served as the interim UDI Executive Director.

Ramsey March, Chairman of Uptown Dallas Inc. and Executive Managing Director at Stream Realty, said, “As we reviewed candidates for this position, it became clear that Kelem’s career experience, his board credentials and his love for Uptown made him the perfect candidate. He starts at an exciting time for the district and will play a key role in finishing out and opening our recently announced Safety Headquarters, which is located at the southern end of Uptown.”

Kelem Butts said, “I am honored to be selected for this role as it’s the intersection of everything that’s important to me—economic and urban development done strategically, a safe walkable community that feels like a small town, and being able to take an organization to new heights.”

Butts is known for his hands-on leadership and a career with major organizations like AT&T, where he worked on national philanthropic and educational initiatives. At AT&T he helped lead transformational change, serving lastly as Director of Charitable Operations. He led many facets of charitable operations, with a focus on overseeing the AT&T Aspire philanthropic program, a $100M initiative to promote high school success and workforce readiness. He also co-managed AT&T Connected Learning, which guides investments into connectivity and technology, digital literacy, and digital learning solutions to support student success. He also previously worked for a local nonprofit organization and held other corporate positions.

In addition to serving on the Uptown Dallas, Inc. board, Butts contributes to several boards including The National Mentoring Partnership: MENTOR (Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee); Dallas Independent School District PTECH Advisory Committee; Educate Dallas; and Region 10 Education Service Center. He graduated from Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and The University of Texas with a Master of Business Administration. He has spoken at various education and workforce conferences. In his spare time, Butts rows with the Dallas Rowing Club and can be seen walking with his girlfriend, Lori, and his bulldog through Uptown, reflecting his commitment to engagement and cleanliness (picking up trash on his street every Sunday).

Uptown Dallas, Inc.

Founded in 1993, Uptown Dallas, Inc. (UDI) is a nonprofit organization and a public improvement district spanning one square mile as one of the first live/work/play communities in Dallas. UDI aims to increase the quality of life for the 19,000 residents Uptown, hundreds of businesses and property owners, and more than 50,000 workers. On any given weekday, as many as 100,000 people pass through the district. The organization also has a safety team working to keep people safe along with its maintenance team responsible for enhancements such as street lighting and landscaping. UDI hosts Pilates in the Park and Movies in the Park (at Griggs Park) and sponsors other community-wide events. For more information on Uptown Dallas, Inc., visit https://uptowndallas.net/.