Scenic Houston, a nonprofit affiliate of the Scenic America dedicated to improving the visual and functional use of public spaces and roadways, has a new executive director. Heather Houston, a former interim executive director of Urban Harvest with a background in sports and events marketing, began the position as of March 2.

“My background in marketing has made me acutely aware of the importance of first impressions. That is why I am so excited about this opportunity,” Houston said in a news release. “We have such wonderful neighborhoods, but the routes to and from those neighborhoods and our airports aren’t always as visually appealing as they could be. Scenic Houston is making substantial progress in this area and I look forward to digging in and helping them do even more to improve the way Houston looks and functions.”

Scenic Houston, which operates out of an office at 5615 Kirby Drive, Ste. 645, has had a hand in developing the city's Streetscape Resource Guide, the Airport Corridor Improvement Initiative and the Broadway/Hobby Redevelopment Project. 713-629-0481. www.scenichouston.org