Vernell Sturns, a pioneering civic leader who broke down racial barriers and held leadership roles in the city and at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, died Aug. 23, in Fort Worth. He was 86.
Sturns was the first Black assistant city manager in Fort Worth and was the first Black trustee at Texas Christian University. In 1984, he was appointed acting city manager before serving as the city’s chief administrative officer. He then continued his career at DFW Airport, where in 1991 he was named executive director.
Michelle Green-Ford, president of the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce, was a small-business owner when Sturns was leading the airport and recalled him as a brave leader…