When the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion went looking for a new President and CEO to succeed the retiring Jerry MacDonald, who ran the pavilion the past two decades, the Board of Directors didn’t have to look far. Or wide. Or outside the company.

Jeff Young has been there the whole time.

“I was a student at Texas A&M when I started part-time in 1990, six shows into the Pavilion’s first year,” Young said. “I was hired as an operations assistant. I was like a go-fer. I did pressure washing, ran errands, painted, picked up trash, you name it. From there I went to work in backstage security.”

Young graduated from A&M in 1993 with a degree in sociology. That’s when the Pavilion hired him full time — as the assistant facility manager. It should be noted that the Pavilion did not have a position of full-time facility manager. So Young was the assistant to somebody who didn’t exist.

“From there I was promoted to operations manager. A few years later I was named vice-president of operations, eventually chief operating officer and now president and CEO.”

Young assumed his new position this month. We caught up with him for a fast Q&A:

CultureMap: Each year Pollstar magazine, the bible of the concert industry, ranks the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands at the top of outdoor music venues around the world. It was No. 1 in 2023, selling 268,693 concert tickets. The Meriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland was No. 2 with 245,000 tickets sold. Waldbuhne Berlin was third with 198,000 tickets. The Pavilion had more $1 million box office shows last year than ever. How do you explain the consistent, long-term popularity and success of the pavilion?
Jeff Young: The success is directly related to the diversity of programming from the performing arts and our strategic partnership with Live Nation, the Houston Symphony, Aramark and all of our sponsors. It’s an important factor that we weren’t built for football. We weren’t built for baseball. We’re not a basketball arena. We were made for live entertainment. The experience you get attending a show here, whether it’s the symphony or ballet or someone like a Jimmy Buffett or 50 Cent, is the best in the world.

CM: More than 1,000 acts have played the pavilion since the Houston Symphony performed on opening night April 17, 1990. Frank Sinatra headlined the first popular music concert the following night. You've been there from the start - give me your Top 5 favorite concerts at the pavilion.
JY: In no particular order, Depeche Mode, Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band, Roger Waters, The Cure, and Tom Petty.

CM: Who is No. 1 on your bucket list of concerts you'd love to present at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. What are the odds you'll succeed?
JY: Led Zeppelin, U2 or a reunited Pink Floyd. Never say never.

CM: Tell me about the 2024 season coming up.
JY: The season is shaping up very nicely with a great mix of programming. New artists like Noah Kahan, Maggie Rogers and Hozier will be here. We will have classic country with Kenny Chesney and Brooks & Dunn. We’ll have hard rocking favorites like Creed and the Red Rocker Sammy Hagar. Let’s not forget Alanis Morisette and everyone’s favorite the Dave Matthews Band. We're also excited to be close to finalizing our outstanding Performing Arts programming with The Houston Symphony. I promise you it will be a superhero-sized season.

CM: What's in the works for future improvements or renovations for the pavilion?
JY: We're always looking to improve on the guest experience with the highest level of safety and customer conveniences provided anywhere. We are working over the next few years to add additional restrooms, more concession points of sale and more coverage for guests to stay comfortable in the Texas weather.

CM: How do you keep the grass so green during Houston's ridiculously hot summers?
JY: The right balance of nutrients, water and care. It's a process and we spend a great amount of time making sure our 2.5 acres of Bermuda grass stays its best. Last year we did a test trial with adding a small section of artificial turf on the lawn. It worked very well and we’ve more than doubled that turf footprint for 2024. It will help mitigate weather issues for guests on the lawn.