Nice to Meet You! Introducing Mary Tom Curnutt, Downtown Arlington Board of Directors

As the governing body for the Downtown Arlington Business Improvement District (BID), our Board of Directors represents the diverse interests found within our vibrant community. Each member of our Board brings incredible insights to our planning and programming, and we're proud to serve beside them.

In our Q&A series, Nice to Meet You, we're pleased to introduce you to each of our Directors. Today, meet Mary Tom Curnutt, Tarrant County Justice of the Peace for Precinct 2.

Downtown Arlington:  What are some of the things you like most about Downtown Arlington?

Mary Tom Curnutt: I love Downtown Arlington because it has been, and now is again, the heart of our community. In Downtown, we get to enjoy the combination of an historic place where our wonderful city of Arlington was launched with its current role as the place so many get to live, work, play, study, and worship. Thanks to the vision and hard work of many people and organizations, Downtown Arlington is once again a destination that provides great community, entertainment, spaces, people and food!
 

DA:  Name a leader in our community who inspires you.

Mary Tom: My dad, Tom Cravens, inspires me because he always gets down in the trenches and works hard, leaves everything better than he found it, and lives to serve others. 
 

DA:  What is your favorite Downtown building or place?

Mary Tom: J. Gilligan’s Bar and Grill will always be special to me because Randy and Gilligan’s have been a huge part of my life for over 45 years.

A building that is now a favorite of mine is Curnutt & Hafer Attorneys at Law in the heart of Downtown on Abram Street. My husband Kelly and I are so blessed to have been business partners with Doug and Vicki Hafer for over 20 years, and we are so honored to have had the opportunity to become property owners in Downtown Arlington when we bought and renovated our building in 2021.
 

DA:  What's your favorite thing about your job?

Mary Tom: Being able to help my fellow citizens solve problems fairly and efficiently.
 

DA:  What inspired you to get involved with the Downtown Arlington Board of Directors? 

Mary Tom: Well, my good friend Chad Woodard, who is on the Board of Directors, recommended my name to the Nominating Committee a few years ago and the rest is history! I originally said yes to the offer to serve on the Board, of which I am now currently the Board Chair, so that I could carry on my father’s passion for the success of Downtown Arlington, and it was an opportunity to once again work with Maggie Campbell, for whom I have immense respect. 
 

DA:  Outside of your business, what is one of your personal passions?

Mary Tom:  Caring for people. I have always loved to make other people happy, healthy and successful. My passion the past few years has been led by the opportunities Tillie Burgin and Mission Arlington have provided us to go out and take the Good News of the Gospel to our community. My husband Kelly and I partner with Tony and Kristy Stokely to lead a Mission Arlington Bible study at an apartment community in East Arlington. I can’t believe it took me this long to get to Mission Arlington, but I will be forever grateful to Tillie and the Mission for allowing me to “GO!” and serve alongside them in leading people to Christ.
 

DA:  When you're out for drinks in Downtown, what is your favorite cocktail or hot beverage and where is your favorite spot to order it?

Mary Tom: I’ll take a glass of wine at Tipsy Oak (or Urban Alchemy when they re-open!) or a margarita at Cartel Taco Bar (thank you fellow Board member and friend Greg Gardner) after 5pm (I have my morals!) any day!
 

DA:  When you think about a bright future for Downtown, what one thing do you think will contribute most to its long-term success?

Mary Tom:  Connection. Connection to and with each other in our Downtown community seems most important to our long-term success together.
 

DA:  What's your Texas Rangers walk-on song? 

Mary Tom:  Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac!

About Downtown Arlington   

Designated by the State of Texas as the Arlington Cultural District, Downtown Arlington is where creativity, authenticity, and hometown pride thrive and drive what's next. Within its less than a two-mile radius, Downtown is home to a top tier public research university, prolific visual and performing artists and arts institutions, live entertainment, exciting NCAA and professional athletics, one-of-a-kind dining and retail, and a supportive business climate. downtownarlington.org 
 

Family photos courtesy of Mary Tom.