Ross Coulter
Civic Leader – Gentle Man
When first meeting Ross Coulter one is struck by his easy manner and attentive way he listens. His patience seems boundless. Being president of our homeowners association since 1997, probably a record for term of office, with all its myriad neighborhood issues and diverse personalities is no small task, but Ross pulls it off with grace and fairness.
Growing up in the neighborhood just North of Royal Lane where his parents still live, he would mow yards in this neighborhood for extra money during his high school years. So he was familiar with this neighborhood and grew up knowing many of the families he now serves.
After high school he went to college at the University of North Carolina but came back to Texas to graduate from the University of Texas. Then he moved to Washington, D C “chasing an old girlfriend.” When that relationship didn’t work out one of his friend’s girl friend, a frustrated matchmaker, tricked him into a blind date. Her name was Juliette and a year later in 1994 they married. She was from Sacramento, California, where her family continues to live.
Deciding to get a Masters Degree, he moved back to Dallas bringing his new wife and he attended SMU where he graduated with a degree in marketing. He worked for TI for a while and, since Juliette was also enjoying a marketing career, they decided to start their own public relations firm. She specializes in non-profit agencies and his area of expertise is new product introduction.
“Though there are certain challenges a husband and wife team face in having a business together, we each have different skill sets to bring to it,” Ross explained, sounding proud of their ability to work together. He went on to say that he sometimes missed the camaraderie of co-workers a home office does not readily supply, but he wouldn’t give up the freedom and flexibility he treasures more. Among their many clients were the American Heart Association, the Real Estate Council, and The Tuskeegee Airmen Convention recently held in Dallas. He really enjoyed hearing the stories from some of the World War II veterans.
Being already familiar with this neighborhood and preferring the big lots and older trees, he and Juliette bought their first house on Coppedge in 1996 and lived there for 11 years. With a growing family they needed more room, so they moved into their present house, which they updated, in 2000. He and Juliette are fully involved with their three young children, two girls – 8 and 5 – and a boy who is 3.
How did Ross get from simple homeowner/ business owner to civic leader within the first year he moved here? Answer – Jeanette Guest. She knew him when he mowed her lawn and she was block captain for crime watch at the time they moved into the neighborhood. She dropped a homeowner’s newsletter at his door. Listed in it were the names of the homeowner association officers and John Barrantine was the president. Ross was curious but not looking for anything more to get involved with right then. Coincidentally, John’s son was playing on the soccer team that Ross was coaching and, at the next match, Jeanette happened to be there and introduced Ross to John.
Next came the Fourth of July traditional neighborhood picnic and John asked for help. Ross volunteered along with many other willing neighbors and, seeing the chance to turn over responsibility to a competent leader and willing hard worker, John invited Ross to take his place. Elections were held at the next homeowners meeting and Ross was a shoe-in. Expanding his civic duties, he also volunteered with Carroll Wolford and Bill Marx during the local, state, and national elections, soon becoming precinct chairperson.
At the beginning of his tenure as president of the Walnut Hill Homeowners Association Ross saw that there were many younger families like themselves moving into the neighborhood. With the 6 schools in our one square mile and the variety of churches, plus the recreation center and parks, Walnut Hill remains an “attractive place to live and a good place to invest in.” Ross wanted to build a little more substance into the association and make sure that everyone was kept informed.
When asked what the main issues are and what his vision is for our neighborhood, Ross replied without hesitation, naming three. “Compared to most of Dallas we really are a pretty safe neighborhood but we have to maintain our vigilance.” There are heavy crime waves directly below and above us. Maintaining our Volunteers In Patrol program of our Crime Watch and instituting an Extended Neighborhood Patrol through the Dallas City Police Department are our primary protections.
The second issue is maintaining our cooperative relationships with each of our neighborhood schools. We will always be dealing with the growth of our schools and there are many challenges to face from the shear number of schools and school children who are an integral part of our daily lives.
The third issue is striking a balance between maintaining the unique character and spirit of community so clearly evident in our neighborhood without limiting the options for financial growth and investment value of our property.
Any last words of wisdom? “I enjoy serving the neighborhood and helping to promote a strong sense of community. We have a great mix of seniors and young couples, people of many nationalities. The more you can become active in the neighborhood, the more the neighborhood will pay you back.”
