Geoff Bratton was born in Dallas and grew up in Park Cities where he attended Armstrong Elementary. He later attended Highland Park High School where he was the baseball captain in 1995. Geoff’s wife, Amy, was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and moved to Shreveport and Houston before relocating to the Dallas area. She attended Highland Park High School and was a member of the Highland Belles. Though they attended HPHS together, they didn’t meet until they both went to a summer camp at Texas A&M for high school juniors. “I wanted to ask Amy for a date but didn’t have the nerve to do so until the homecoming dance that fall,” said Geoff. “She said yes, and we went on a pre-homecoming date on October 15, 1994.” Amy studied in Italy several times during her undergraduate years, and Geoff proposed in Castiglion Fiorentino during a summer trip with friends after college. The two then married on January 12, 2002, at SMU Perkins Chapel. 

Geoff attended Texas A&M for his undergraduate degree as well as veterinary school. He worked for a year at Lums Pond Animal Hospital in Bear, Delaware, after graduation before returning to Holt Veterinary Clinic on SMU Blvd in 2003. Geoff worked at Holt during his sophomore year in high school in 1992 and bought the practice from Dr. David Baxter, his mentor, when he retired in 2010. 

Amy also attended Texas A&M for her undergraduate degree and master’s degree in literature. She completed PhD work in literature at the University of Delaware and worked for several years at The Dallas Institute for Arts and Humanities. She then went back to SMU Dedmon School of Law and worked for several years as a business attorney at Underwood Perkins. She later stepped away to raise the couple’s two children and help Geoff manage the veterinary clinic while overseeing the construction of the new hospital. “The old building which I purchased from Dr. Baxter in 2010, had been in existence since Dr. JN Holt opened the business in 1946,” explained Geoff. “The old building had served its purpose for many years and simply could not be renovated or expanded sufficiently to properly house a modern, functional, growing veterinary practice. In 2014, we rebuilt the hospital on the same property in a staged process that did not interrupt operations.” Amy continues to coordinate marketing, graphic design, and community outreach programs at Holt Veterinary Clinic. 

Geoff and Amy have two 11-year-old boys, fraternal twins Ben and Steve. The boys both love soccer and play three or four days per week and most weekends. They also love climbing and enjoy spending time at Summit Climbing gym. As a family, the Brattons spend a lot of time outside and have made trips to Wichita Mountains Refuge in Oklahoma and Johnson’s Peak in Palo Pinto County for quick hiking trips. “When we can get away for a few days, we have a Hiker two-person camper trailer with a roof-top, fold-out tent for the boys that we have taken all over the southwest and as far as Custer State Park in South Dakota for camping trips,” said Geoff. They also have a home in Angel Fire, New Mexico, which they consider their true retreat. “The Enchanted Circle in northeast New Mexico is where our heart truly resides,” shared Amy. “Our home is on the top of a mountain with wide views of the Moreno Valley and herds of elk that roam by. Living in the hustle and bustle of Dallas, we deeply appreciate getting away somewhere that has more elk, deer, and wildlife than people.” The boys have over 40 Junior Ranger badges from all the National Parks and National Historic Monuments the family has visited over the years. 

Geoff is avid cyclist and has logged more than 10,000 miles per year on his road bike for the last 10 years and counting. He especially enjoys riding over mountain

passes in Colorado and New Mexico and has participated in the Bicycle Tour of Colorado multiple years. He has ridden 28 of the 41 Colorado mountain passes over 8,000 feet in elevation and has a goal of completing them all. His favorite ride, however, is the 80-mile Enchanted Circle loop in New Mexico over Bobcat, Arroyo Hondo, and Taos passes. Locally, he circles White Rock Lake hundreds of times annually. 

Amy is an avid dancer. She was a Highland Belle in high school and still loves dancing. She is a dance fitness instructor-in-training with Dallas Dance Fitness in Preston Center and teaches dance-cardio classes. She especially enjoys flamenco and Brazilian samba and has traveled with the United Dance Academy samba team to their national competition. 

The Brattons enjoy local hangouts and favorite restaurants include Yummy Donuts and Hudson House on Lovers Lane, Sevy’s on Preston, and Smokey Rose by White Rock. They also visit The Kessler and Poor David’s for live music. Geoff, Ben, and Steve bike to Fair Park when there are no events taking place. “We ride around all the fairgrounds, animal barns, Cotton Bowl, and Hall of State,” said Geoff. “There are no cars or people anywhere and we have the whole place to ourselves!” They also ride through the Park Cities, down the Katy Trail, through downtown, and across the Continental Street Bridge Park. 

The Brattons live in University Park on Lovers Lane and have been at the same location since 2003. They originally lived in a two-bedroom home for 7 years before tearing it down in 2010 to rebuild their new home. Their family is completed by Mr. Fezziwig a 7-year-old Havanese. “Mr. Fezziwig is named after the character from Dickens’ Christmas Carol,” shared Amy. “Geoff always aspires to the same kind of fun, joyful boss – sometimes he succeeds!” When asked about living in University Park, they said, “We love being in the heart of the city with quick access to all the arts, restaurants, and activities that a major metropolitan city has to offer while living in a neighborhood that has a very local, close-knit feel.”

Karl Chiao, executive director of the Dallas Historical Society (DHS), along with lead sponsors Stanley V. Graff and Reed Graff, are thrilled to announce the unveiling of the newest addition to DHS’s exhibits, the interactive battle of the Alamo diorama, Texas Liberty Forever: The Battle of the Alamo, created by artist Tom Feely.

Open to the public beginning Tuesday, March 29^th, the exhibit kicks off the 100^th Anniversary celebration of the Dallas Historical Society. Texas Liberty Forever: The Battle of the Alamo diorama is a vibrant expansive work featuring replicas of scenes from the famous battle, as well as the forward-thinking incorporation of an interactive mobile app that draws guests in to feel more connected to the battle of the Alamo and maybe even discover scenarios they never knew existed.

“There is nothing subtle about this inspired and active diorama,” Chiao said. “It is a must-see for people of all ages.” Measuring 24-by-14 feet, this historical composition features over 2,000 hand-painted pewter figures in 1/54-scale. Feely often rebuilt parts of the work as new research surfaced. This remarkable exhibit will be on permanent display in the South Texas Room at the Hall of State in Fair Park.

Feely spent almost two decades carefully constructing the scene of the morning of March 6, 1836, at the height of the battle for Texas independence. He has brought to life the findings of many Alamo researchers to get every detail correct, from architecture and uniforms to weapons, blacksmith’s tools and even knots used to tie down horses. A stirring sight, this diorama captures incredible detail and will delight visitors with its overpowering presence.

Additional sponsors include the Scovell Family Foundation at The Dallas Foundation, Patrick and Kristy Sands and the Sands Foundation, Hillcrest Foundation, The Summerfield G. Roberts Foundation, The Summerlee Foundation and Phoenix I Restoration and Construction, LLC

Whether someone is new to Dallas or a native Texan, the Dallas Historical Society offers programs and exhibits that educates and informs visitors about their home city and reveals insights and little-known facts that one might be unable to grasp from history books alone, especially with the museum’s newest permanent exhibit. Ongoing events include brown bag lectures, Evening With programs, and the Deep Vellum series along with the unveiling of this very special exhibit honoring Texas’ independence, the interactive Texas Liberty Forever: The Battle of the Alamo diorama. Join in discovering more about Dallas and take part in one or more of these wonderful programs. Visit the website for more information at www.dallashistory.org

About The Dallas Historical Society: Celebrating Its Centennial Year In 2022

 The stories of Dallas are shared each day at the Dallas Historical Society through the three million items that comprise our archives and artifact collections. Established in 1922, the Dallas Historical Society collects, preserves, and exhibits the unique heritage of Dallas and Texas to educate and inspire future generations.

 Housed at the Hall of State in Fair Park since 1938, DHS presents these collections through education programs, exhibitions, tours, access to research materials and workshops. 

 Among the three million historical artifacts at DHS are such treasures as Sam Houston’s handwritten account of the Battle of San Jacinto, the only known original Juneteenth document, James Fannin’s watch, and Santa Anna’s spurs. The DHS collection houses over 10,000 bound volumes and receives more than 1,500 research requests annually.

Each year, the Dallas Historical Society is visited by over 160,000 people and serves more than 20,000 students through guided tours and educational programming at the Hall of State, as well as outreach programs at schools. Visit the website for more information at www.dallashistory.org

HPISD will officially dedicate the new Michael M. Boone and Robert S. Hyer Elementary schools and the HP community is invited to join the celebrations.

Open houses will be held from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, April 3 at Boone, 8385 Durham Street, and from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, April 10 at Hyer, 3920 Caruth Boulevard. Each campus will hold a dedication ceremony at 2:15 p.m. during its open house.

Beginning a Life Together in University Park

By Sarah Mitchell

Living on a quiet street behind Snider Plaza, Jeff and Lara Lisle were drawn to the neighborhood’s charm and convenience. “We were drawn to the house because of the neighborhood,” explained Lara. “We love our back yard and pool, and we also built a firepit in the backyard. It’s a great hangout spot, and we find we spend a lot of time out there. Our location within University Park is very convenient as well. We are able to walk to Snider Plaza for restaurants and shopping, and our location is near where we work.”

Jeff is originally from Stamford, Texas, and graduated from Texas Tech in 2011. He moved to Lubbock after graduation and began working for Vista Bank. In 2015, he made the move to Dallas to start the Dallas branch and is now the Senior Vice President of Lending. Lara, born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, attended Penn State where she graduated in 2013 with a degree in Elementary Education. She moved to Dallas in 2016 and now has her masters in Gifted and Talented Education. She is currently the TAG teacher at Armstrong and is in her sixth year at the school. She has also taught everything from kindergarten through 5^th grade.

 The couple met through Jeff’s CEO at Vista Bank who was also the parent of one of Lara’s first grade students at Armstrong. Jeff and Lara married in January 2020 at the Park Cities Club in Dallas and had their honeymoon in St. Lucia. “That is still our favorite trip together,” said Jeff. “We hope to go back again soon!” Lara continued, “We love traveling and making new memories. The beach and the mountains are some of our favorite places.” Lara even surprised Jeff with a ski trip in March 2020 to Alta, Utah. This was her first time to ski and their first trip together since their honeymoon.

The vacation, however, did not go as planned. “We got to Utah, enjoyed one day of skiing, and management told us at dinner that the mountain was shutting down the next day,” shared Lara. “We moved our flights up to come home one day early before the world shut down. We got home safely, and the next day there was an earthquake in Utah. We were so thankful we made it home and didn’t get stuck there!”

The Lisles try to take as many trips as they can and recently visited Marco Island, Florida, over Thanksgiving to spend some time at the beach. They also spent Christmas in Pennsylvania with Lara’s family. Jeff’s favorite location is Red River, New Mexico, where he loves to ski in the winter. “My family has a house in the mountains, and we enjoy spending time there in the summer to enjoy the cooler weather and hike, in addition to our winter ski trips.”

Jeff and Lara also have some favorite local hangouts as well. They enjoy playing tennis at the courts near their home and riding bikes in their neighborhood or at White Rock Lake. “We love being near Snider Plaza and frequently walk to Foxtrot, Nektar, Bandito’s, and Dive,” they shared. Lara is passionate about fitness and nutrition and started a small business, EmbraceFit, in September 2020 where she records 30 minute at-home workout videos for busy women.

 Jeff and Lara love living in Dallas and now consider this “home”. “Living in this community makes you feel like you are living in a small town and not the city of Dallas,” said Lara. “It’s fun to live near SMU and have the feel of a college town. We think Dallas will be a great place to raise a family with great opportunities. We’ve met some wonderful people here and love that this is where we met and started our life together.”

Scottie Joe’s is a student-run coffee shop located on the campus of Highland Park High School. The coffee shop is made possible through a partnership with the Credit Union of Texas (CUTX). Junior and senior students from Highland Park ISD’s Moody Advanced Professional Studies (MAPS) program will manage Scottie Joe’s business operations and marketing, while students from the school’s 18+ transition program will oversee the coffee shop’s day-to-day service.

Scottie Joe’s coffee shop expands opportunities already afforded to students in the 18+ transition program. Those opportunities already in operation include Scot’s Café, a catering service, and Scottie Treats, a dog treat-making service. Students in the 18+ transition program staff both. The addition of Scottie Joe’s is yet another opportunity for special needs students to gain supported-work experience and develop their communication and social skills and food service, sales, and customer service abilities. This collaboration between the MAPS program and the 18+ transition program allows all students to receive valuable job experience without leaving the high school campus. 

“The location and accessibility of the coffee shop as a job site within the school ensures that all students at all ability levels will have access to meaningful job training,” said Director of Special Programs Laurie Gagne. “Access to this level of training would not be possible without the partnership and collaboration of CUTX.” 

While the 18+ transition program students run the coffee shop, it will be managed by students from the MAPS Business Design and Leadership program. Fifty-four students were selected to participate in this year-long professional program. The course combines hands-on business experience at Scottie Joe’s, including tracking inventory, stocking supplies, writing the human resources handbook, and marketing the coffee shop. The course also provides credit for three blended classes – AP Microeconomics, Economic Advanced Studies and Entrepreneurship. Outside of course credit, MAPS students will also be able to grow their professional network from a young age by collaborating with CUTX and other local businesses. 

“With the help of CUTX, Scottie Joe’s offers students a unique opportunity to develop business and job readiness skills and gain real-world business experience,” said Dr. Tom Trigg, superintendent of Highland Park ISD. “It is our privilege to partner with Credit Union of Texas on this endeavor. Their support in the classroom as business mentors to our students will also be very beneficial to the success of the program.”

Many people love sweet, furry, four-legged animals, but some do not. Please be respectful and follow the Town Ordinance, which requires the owner to control their pet with a leash when they are on public property. Leashing your pets is kind to those that don’t like animals, helps prevent unpredictable animal bites, and prevents you from receiving a $152 fine.