Garret Martin, then vice president of the Downtown Arlington Management Corp., claps during the 2025 Downtown Arlington Annual Meeting on Oct. 22 at UTA. Martin is now president and CEO of the corporation.
Photo by Mabel Cruz
What started as an intern position at the Downtown Arlington Management Corp. has grown into a new title, a new office and a larger role in shaping the city’s downtown.
As former vice president, Garret Martin is now the corporation’s president and CEO.
Born in Austin, Texas, Martin moved with his family to Mansfield, Texas, where he went to middle and high school. While living in Mansfield, Martin said, he spent a lot of time in Arlington, going out to eat, shop and have fun with friends and family, building a connection with the city before it ever became his home.
That connection grew stronger in 2014 when he moved to Arlington to start his academic journey at UTA, pursuing a degree in marketing and management.
During his time at the university, Martin began building the community-focused work that would later become a major part of his career by launching a business, and later, a nonprofit organization on campus.
He, along with his best friend, launched Mavs Munchie Express, a food delivery service on campus.
Martin also started The Football Team: A Creative Collective, a campus nonprofit organization channeling the idea that a university does not need a traditional football team to have culture.
“I felt like at UTA you could help shift the culture,” he said.
Martin said his favorite campus memories came from hosting events for The Football Team. The organization ran an event called Treehouse, an open mic night that first took place in Martin’s house.
“It was just mind-blowing that we had hundreds of people out there,” he said.
The first Treehouse event made over $1,000, which went back into the organization. Martin said the event later grew beyond his house and became Treehouse at Truth Vinyl, running for three more years.
The organization also hosted the Arlington Art Market, an event at the former downtown location of the Arlington Museum of Art. The event showcased art made by the university’s students and a concert at the nearby park.
Garret Martin, Treehouse UTA president and marketing and management senior, shoots video footage of the acts of the Nov. 30, 2017 event at his home.
File photo / The Shorthorn staff
In 2017, Martin brought his passion for community-building to the Downtown Arlington Management Corp. when he started an internship producing events for the corporation — all while not getting paid in the beginning.
After graduation, Martin worked in marketing at a programmatic media buying company in Fort Worth, working with online ads. Although he said it was a great, well-paying job, he wanted something different.
“I had come from this really mission-driven background and found my way into what was a really, really cushy job,” Martin said.
In 2019, Martin applied for an administrative assistant position back in the corporation, where he was interviewed by Maggie Campbell, the former president and CEO.
Martin said he did not get the position but was offered another job doing contract work.
“It was kind of breathtaking to be stepping into this paid position that I’d craved for a few years at that point and it was exhilarating,” Martin said.
Over the years, Martin has brought multiple projects to life, adding engagement opportunities to downtown.
Arlington community members cut the ribbon during the Doggie Depot grand opening March 13 in downtown Arlington.
File photo / The Shorthorn staff
He worked toward the addition of the Arlington Farmers Market and the Doggie Depot, offering residents places to shop for local produce and bring their dogs to play downtown.
As requests for the city to have a farmers market grew, the Downtown Arlington Management Corp. took on the responsibility. After about five months of conversations and planning, Martin said, the farmers market finally opened in March 2025, bringing around 2,000 people to the streets of downtown for its opening day.
The Doggie Depot granted Martin a new experience, as he had never managed a construction project before. He said the ribbon-cutting ceremony brought together a large number of people, making it one of his favorite moments.
“It was just so cool to have this moment of everyone coming together around an idea,” Martin said.
Now, after years of working in various roles within the corporation, like marketing events manager, director of communications and placemaking, and vice president, Martin is stepping into its top leadership position.
He said it has been a gradual transition as over the last year different responsibilities have fallen onto his plate.
“I’ve slowly been taking bites out of the apple, getting into this job, which has made the transition very easy,” he said.
Martin said that as vice president, his job was often to implement the ideas of the CEO. Now, as his role changes, his job is to come up with ideas and empower the team and community to make them happen.
He said some of his goals in this new position include identifying new opportunity sites for developments, expanding cultural programming and connecting downtown, the Entertainment District and UTA.
“I feel like I grew up alongside the school and alongside this downtown in a really cool and unique way,” Martin said.
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