Downtown Little Rock Partnership names Kyle as executive director as Gabe Holstrom steps down

The Downtown Little Rock Partnership announced a leadership change during the Little Rock Board of Directors agenda meeting Aug. 12: Gabe Holstrom said he stepped away after 10 years and turned leadership over to Kyle, who the partnership introduced to the board.
Holstrom reviewed accomplishments during his decade with the partnership, including expanding a food‑truck festival to draw as many as 50,000 people, installing more than 43 permanent public-art pieces and launching a professionally run ambassador program. "When I joined the organization in 2015, we hosted an annual meeting in a small food truck festival that drew about 10,000 people and our team consisted of just 3 people," Holstrom said.
Kyle, the incoming executive director, told the board he plans to continue the partnership’s priorities: advancing the downtown master plan with the mayor and implementation committee, expanding the public-art program (including an upcoming mural fest), highlighting the 30 Crossing green space during the food-truck festival to showcase the Sasaki team's draft master plan and supporting the ambassador program’s safety and visitor‑services work. He said the ambassadors have walked collectively more than 3,600 miles this year, welcomed over 52,000 people and removed nearly 1,000 pieces of graffiti.
Chris Hulan, representing the Downtown Little Rock ambassador program, was present to answer technical questions. Board members and staff thanked Holstrom for his service and welcomed Kyle.
No formal board action was taken; the segment was presented as a recognition/briefing during the agenda meeting.