When Thomas Underwood joined as executive director of the NOTO Arts and Entertainment District in October 2017, he recognized the hard work and dedication it takes to make the district as memorable as it is today. I knew something.
As a Topeka native who grew up in the North Topeka area, Underwood is one of NOTO’s biggest supporters.
“I grew up in this neighborhood, so for me these were my stepping stones,” he said. “Here’s what I knew. … When I looked at when the decline of this area happened, (it) didn’t happen overnight. This happened over a period of time.”
“And when NOTO started in 2010 or 2011, I was one of those people who was like, ‘Good luck with that. There’s no way it’s going to work.’ Well, it worked, but it was more organic. was.”
Redbud Park is a notable addition to the Noto area
Mr Underwood said one of the most “obvious and tangible” changes during his tenure was at Redbud Park.
“I think a lot of people were surprised. We were really lucky to be in the right place at the right time to raise money,” Underwood said.
The Redbud Park expansion was completed at the end of 2019. The land was donated by the late Glenn Swogger, former owner of Kaw Valley Bank, and his wife Claire.
“I like to say, ‘That’s because of my expertise,'” Underwood said. “Honestly, it was pretty much the right place, right time, right situation. But when we built the park, we broke ground in May of 2019 and we did the ribbon cutting in 2019. It was in November of 2017. I mean, in the blink of an eye, I was transformed.”
Underwood said he is also proud of Breezeway Park and NOTO’s expansion beyond the 800 and 900 blocks of N. Kansas Avenue. Leaders are also discussing ideas to further expand Veterans Park.
“I want to continue telling the story of NOTO by utilizing Veterans Park,” he said. “We want to use the bridge as a canvas for a mural. We want to put some cool, funky lighting under the bridge. For now, it’s mostly just a parking lot. I We have all this land. What can we do with it?”
“You can have the most polished jewel in the world, but if it’s in a slum, it’s of no use. So we recognized that grasslands are jewels. We know it’s a gem, but it’s as good as ours is around here. ”
Underwood said leaders are considering how they can support and strengthen community efforts and how to work with neighbors, including on housing improvements.
Thomas Underwood will step down from his post at NOTO later this year
NOTO announced that Mr. Underwood will step down as executive director later this year.
NOTO Board Chairman Pedro Concepcion said the board appreciates Mr. Underwood’s leadership, innovation and tenacious advocacy during his more than six years as NOTO Executive Director.
“Tom is the perfect person for NOTO, laying the foundation for the organization and bringing tremendous progress to the district,” Concepcion said.
Underwood said he feels he has made a name for himself in the community and now it’s time to relax.
“It’s just time. It’s time to stop working 60-hour weeks. It’s time to travel more,” Underwood said.
The NOTO organization is seeking a candidate for Executive Director. Applications will be accepted until May 12th.
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Underwood said the next leader must have the knowledge and understanding that the arts are part of the community.
“My background is not in art, but I know public art is valuable to the community,” he says. “So you can argue about whether you like that article or not, or like that tapestry or not, but it’s not about whether you like it or not, someone else will.
“You don’t have to be an art expert, but you do need to see value in promoting public art.”
Keishera Lately is a business reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @Lately_KT.
This article originally appeared in Topeka Capital-Journal: Retiring Thomas Underwood looks back on seven years leading NOTO in Topeka