Fort Worth is historic, with glimpses of its Western heritage found everywhere. It is creative, with some of the best museums in the country. It is industrious, which can be seen in its large factories as well as its grand real estate projects and even in its enterprising small businesses. And it’s growing faster than any other big city in the country.
That makes it a really exciting place to cover, full of interesting stories and colorful characters. But it can also be a challenge to wrap your arms around all the changes that are happening.
That’s why we created the Fort Worth Newsmakers program, now back for its second iteration. This year’s list contains lifelong Fort Worthians as well as newcomers. There are some who left Fort Worth but returned later with ideas to try out. There are even a few who live just outside Fort Worth but are playing major roles in some of the city’s biggest stories. The list was selected purely by newsroom leaders based on our recent coverage; this is not a typical awards program.
The goal with the list is to educate and connect readers, whether you’re a Cowtown insider or someone trying to learn more about this dynamic city from the outside. We expect the Fort Worth Newsmakers to be regular fixtures in our paper as they wrangle with multibillion-dollar projects and tricky challenges — so please reach out with your feedback on this year’s list and who we should consider next year.
2025 Fort Worth Newsmakers
Russell Laughlin
Executive vice president, Hillwood
Trucks, planes and trains move through the 27,000 acres that make up AllianceTexas. And Laughlin is thinking about exactly what technology and infrastructure is needed for the logistics hub in north Fort Worth, both now and in the far future. Part of that effort is being a partner to create a $262 million smart port, an effort to boost the overall supply chain and provide real-time tracking of goods and services as they move through the port. Laughlin plays a critical role in redefining what it means for AllianceTexas to be a modern logistics hub.
