Memorial Park Conservancy—the nonprofit which maintains Houston's Memorial Park—announced a leadership transition in an Oct. 24 news release, as president and CEO Shellye Arnold takes on a new role within the organization.

What you need to know

Current Chief Operating Officer Chris Ballard will step up as the interim president and CEO effective Nov. 1, while Arnold will transition to President Emeritus to focus on family priorities, according to the release.

Memorial Park is nearly twice the size of Central Park at 1,500 acres, per the conservancy's website. Its cultural history as a World War I training camp, and the park where the sport of jogging was popularized by Seymour Lieberman, attribute to the park's national acclaim, according to the website.

Memorial Park Conservancy maintains 1,100 acres of the 100-year-old park, per previous Community Impact reporting. The organization will continue to advance its key focus areas, which include conservation, amenity design and maintenance, community involvement, and implementation of the Memorial Park Master Plan and Ten-Year Plan, per the release.


Taking a step back

Arnold served as president and CEO of the Memorial Park Conservancy for more than a decade. During her tenure, the organization completed five capital projects, including:
  • Clay Family Eastern Glades
Memorial Park Eastern Glades. (Courtesy Nick Hubbard)
  • Kinder Land Bridge and Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Prairie
Memorial Park's Kinder Land Bridge facing east. (Courtesy Nick Hubbard)
  • Seymour Lieberman trail bridges
Memorial Park - Jogging Trail & Bridges- Houston, TX 100722
Jogging trail and bridges are characteristic of Memorial Park. (Courtesy Memorial Park Conservancy)
Roy H. Cullen timing track. (Courtesy Memorial Park Conservancy)


Arnold grew the conservancy from a small team to a "robust nonprofit" with 70 employees, per the release. She also raised over $135 million for park enhancements.

Zooming in


Ballard is a native Texan who joined the conservancy in 2023 after a nationwide search for a new leadership team member. According to the release, he was selected with the potential to guide the park's future, crediting his operations experience, career growth and professional values.

"I look forward to building on the strong foundation established by Shellye and working closely with our dedicated staff, board and community partners," Ballard said in a statement.

Memorial Park Conservancy officials said the plan is for Ballard to fully takeover as president and CEO over time. As of Oct. 28, no timeline has been given on when the transition will be complete.