One of Houston's most beloved green spaces and entertainment destinations has a new chief. Kathryn Lott, who currently serves as executive director of Chris Shepherd's Southern Smoke Foundation, will take over as president of Discovery Green Conservancy, the organization announced.

Lott's tenure as president will begin on July 1, when current and longtime Discovery Green head Barry Mandel officially retires, per press materials.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Southern Smoke executive director Kathryn Lott.

The leader of Shepherd's far-reaching nonprofit that assists food, restaurant, and hospitality workers in financial need has plans to unite her new organization with her former.

“Discovery Green is a place that welcomes our community, fosters creativity and celebrates traditions,” Lott tells CultureMap. “During my time with Southern Smoke, we did the same through food and culture. Now, I get to harness that experience of bringing together communities through food and combine it with an urban green space where Houstonians can easily access and celebrate the performing and visual arts, wellness and green space.

“One way Discovery Green will do this is by being host venue to the annual Southern Smoke Festival this fall. I am thrilled to be a part of these two projects coming together and seeing how they make the city thrive.”

An esteemed, 20-year veteran of high-profile nonprofits, Lott has worked for prestigious organizations such as Houston Grand Opera, Society for the Performing Arts (now known as Performing Arts Houston), and the Children’s Museum of Houston.

A noted event producer and co-founder of Lott Entertainment, she has managed large-scale events for University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, Baylor College of Medicine, Legacy Community Health, East End Chamber District, and more. She has also overseen events for Discovery Green, giving her keen insight into the destination and its appeal.

Discovery Green's board, it seems, agrees.

“We wanted to ensure the new president continues the park’s success at the high caliber level it has achieved today,” said chair of Discovery Green Conservancy’s board of directors, Julie Sudduth in a statement. “The landscape for parks in Houston has changed since the opening of Discovery Green as has the neighborhood that surrounds it so the board wanted someone who could be visionary. We think Kathryn is the right person to lead Discovery Green into the future and are thrilled she has accepted the role.”

Pivotal in Discovery Green's growth and profile, Mandel has overseen the space since 2010, just two years after it opened. He helped attract conventions such as Starbucks, Microsoft, and Google, per press materials, and helped draw Super Bowl Live, Final Four NCAA March Madness Music Fest, and other large events.

Under Mandel's leadership, Discovery Green scored a Good Brick Award, a spot on America’s favorite parks list, and was named one of the American Planning Association’s Great Places in America in 2019.

“You do not know how much joy it gives me to turn over something I love to someone I love,” Mandel, who served as Lott’s mentor during their downtown Houston arts community days, in a statement. “I know she understands the essence of this place and how much it means to me, the team and the community.”

Since opening in 2008, Discovery Green has evolved from two downtown surface parking lots into a vibrant, central green space and urban entertainment venue. Its creation helped spark more than $1.8 billion surrounding development, as well as a return to downtown as a living, working, and entertainment destination.

Serving as president, Lott will shepherd the Discovery Green Conservancy's work in care, maintenance, and programming of the 12-acre park, as well as fundraising for the more than $6 million annual budget the greenspace requires.