DALLAS — The months-long turmoil over the leadership of Fair Park First, which manages Fair Park, appears to have ended Monday. The Fair Park First board approved reinstating its CEO Brian Luallen after a lengthy closed meeting.
The board placed Luallen on a 45-day leave of absence in May and said they’d conduct a performance evaluation.
“After careful and thoughtful review of the data and information before the board, we have determined the leave of absence of our CEO should come to an end,” a statement from the board to WFAA read. “ While we cannot elaborate further as this is a personnel matter, it is our sincere hope that Mr. Luallen will return to his post and continue the positive trajectory of growth and redevelopment of Fair Park.”
Fair Park First board president Darren James previously said a governance committee of the board was appointed to conduct Luallen’s performance evaluation, and the results of the evaluation will be presented to the board for review and consideration.
The city privatized Fair Park and handed over management of it to Fair Park First in 2019. At that time, Fair Park First contracted with Spectra, a venue management company, to manage day-to-day operations of the park. Spectra was bought by Oak View Group’s division specializing in sports, live entertainment and hospitality, OVG360, in 2021.
Luallen in April issued a statement alleging Oak View Group may have "inaccurately, and we hope inadvertently, allocated and utilized restricted funds raised by Fair Park First for daily park operations."
Oak View Group denied the allegations.
"We are confident – and have documentation to support – that all uses of donated funds were with the full knowledge and approval of Mr. Luallen, acting on behalf of Fair Park First,” Oak View Group’s letter at the time said.
Neither group -- nor the city -- provided information about how much money may have been misappropriated.
The results of an audit launched in April haven't been released.
