Here's what our Board President, Gerardo (Gary) Sanchez, Senior Director of Community Impact, Equity, and Public Affairs at Visit Dallas, had to say about his involvement at 24HourDallas:
''My role with 24HourDallas began in 2017 (before 24HourDallas had its name), when there was an initiative to enforce a “Late Hours Overlay” on businesses opened past 12am, with the intent of addressing parking, noise, alleged crimes, and other claims. The ordinance was flawed and was drafted with no input from residents, neighborhood businesses, property owners or employees. Organized by the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association, there was a strong opposition to this ordinance, officially called, “Stop The Curfew.” Thanks in big part to the hundreds of service industry works who showed up at Dallas City Hall to voice their opposition, it was defeated. The ordinance went through the process of being heard at council committees, but it was ultimately dropped. The idea of taking a pro-active approach on addressing these matters soon arose, and in January 2020, the first 24HourDallas member meeting occurred at the Omni Hotel. Although 24HourDallas has grass-roots origins, it’s had tremendous effects on Dallas, and it’s been fantastic to see many of our ideas come true – our Good Neighbor Initiative and Copper Star Certification program (now in its third year); the hiring of the city’s Manager of Nighttime Economy and Responsible Hospitality, and more recently, the publishing of our first Nighttime Economic Study, which demonstrated that in 2023, the Dallas nightlife scene contributed $15 billion in direct economic impact, and when considering induced effects, the overall indirect economic influence was $24.4 billion and the support of 256,000 jobs. As the current President of the 24HourDallas board of directors, I’m extremely proud of the work we’ve done, and moved by everyone’s commitment to our mission: “to create a safe, vibrant, and diverse nighttime culture for businesses, residents, and guests,” because the nighttime really is for everyone.''
If you share the same passions or want to join Gary as a member today, visit 24hourdallas.org! #TheNighttimeIsForEveryone
