Fort Worth’s historic Camp Bowie District Inc. has named Lydia Guajardo Rickard as the public improvement district’s (PID19) new executive director.
Rickard has been operating as the district’s interim leader since mid-October 2021 and has a previous four-year history of marketing the business corridor through her former agency, LComm Marketing and Public Relations. Rickard announced the closure of her marketing firm via social media on Jan. 27.
“We have grown the district to a place where it deserves the attention of fulltime staff and a vision for the next 20 years,” said board chairman J. Mark Harris, president of 8 Feet Development Inc. “The board of directors has faith that with Lydia’s past experiences and future plans, she will build a team dedicated to advancing small to mid-sized business while improving an already thriving boulevard.”
Camp Bowie District is comprised of two organizations -- a 501(C)(3) and a 501(c)(6) -- both engaged in a wide range of activities dedicated to the advancement and preservation of the historic boulevard. The nonprofit arm of the organization is focused on philanthropic and charitable initiatives providing program support, small-business focus and marketing efforts. The 501(C)(6) is the member-based arm of the organization that provides advocacy, development and PID management. Improvement efforts have included infrastructure refinement, beautification projects, hosting special events and serving as an advocate for all development.
“Camp Bowie District is the keeper of the boulevard. Our goal is to preserve the integrity of the historic area,” Rickard said. “We are dedicated to preserving the economic engine that is assembled of more than 400 small to mid-sized businesses, many of which are locally owned.”
Camp Bowie District strategically analyzes the historic corridor identifying improvements that are needed. By identifying projects and needs based on evaluations and feedback from businesses, Rickard will lead the delegation of assessments from property owners to fund future PID projects such as maintenance, landscaping and beautification, litter abatement, safety and security, marketing advocacy, communications, economic development and future planning
