Christopher J. Roden has been promoted to the position of senior public events manager (operations manager) for the Will Rogers Memorial Center, the 120-acre entertainment, sports, equestrian and livestock complex in Fort Worth’s Cultural District.
Roden has worked in the city’s public events department since 2014, starting out as an entry-level service attendant and later serving as a field operations supervisor and as interim operations manager during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, he led the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) initiative for the Will Rogers complex and served as deputy incident commander during overflow homeless shelter operations at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
“Chris Roden is a stellar example of how a motivated employee can propel their career by taking on new challenges,” said Mike Crum, the city’s director of public events. “He has proven himself to be a servant leader that our team looks to for personal inspiration as well as professional direction.”
“Will Rogers is a unique venue with multiple events and various types of shows running concurrently, which requires logistical expertise and staff leadership,” added Kevin Kemp, general manager of Will Rogers Memorial Center. “Chris tackles every project we task him with and always excels.”
Roden said his goal for the center is to build a culture of continuous improvement.
“I like analyzing puzzles and finding solutions,” he said. “With technology, evaluation and training, we can create innovative solutions and a better experience for staff, clients, guests and partners.”
A Fort Worth native, Roden is a graduate of South Hills High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Texas Christian University. He is also a graduate of the IAVM Venue Management School and will complete his master’s in public administration from Tarleton State University later this year.
