
MEET KATRINA WHATLEY: A Champion for Oak Cliff
Born in a military family in San Diego, California, raised in Missouri, Arizona, and multiple cities across North Texas, Katrina has proudly called Oak Cliff home for over two decades. After high school, she moved to Seattle for three years and later followed her childhood dream of traveling the world. She left Texas with “$300 in my sock and no idea what lay ahead. But I knew I had a plane ticket to London and faith in myself. I managed to stretch that adventure for almost a year.”. She lived and worked on the Isle of Sark in the English Channel Islands, in a small fishing village in Scotland, and even spent a few months in Johannesburg, South Africa. These early travels exposed Katrina to a wealth of cultures and perspectives, shaping a worldview grounded in empathy, inclusivity, and community. She sees this diverse foundation as a privilege-one that continues to guide her leadership today.
She married in 2003 and settled in Oak Cliff, where she now raises her son as a proud single mother.
Katrina’s career has been as dynamic as her life experiences. She has worked as a gallerist/owner of a nonprofit art gallery and as a Clinical Research Coordinator in psychiatry and oncology at UT Southwestern and the Dallas VA Hospital. For the past 18 years, she has been a dedicated REALTOR®, serving the residents of Oak Cliff and surrounding areas. In real estate, Katrina has been a passionate advocate for her clients, gaining a deep understanding of the challenges and priorities of individuals and families who call Oak Cliff home—or hope to. This work has also given her unique insight into the character, flavor, and needs of Dallas’ diverse neighborhoods.
Her commitment to advocacy deepened when a developer built a five-story apartment complex just three feet from her family home. That experience ignited a passion to understand and navigate Dallas’ city departments and processes. Katrina often says she feels like she’s earned a bachelor’s degree in how Dallas really works. Scott Griggs appointed her to the City of Dallas Historic Commission Task Force, and she was appointed to the Fort Worth Avenue TIF District Board by City Council Member Chad West.
Katrina became an active voice in economic development, zoning, property transformation, and infrastructure issues impacting Oak Cliff and Greater Dallas. She has also served on the organizing committees and boards of numerous local organizations, including Oak Cliff Earth Day, Communications Chair at RECPTA (Rosemont Early Childhood PTA), and is the proud founder of the 6,000+ member Oak Cliff Ladies Club.
Above all, Katrina is a devoted single mother to a teenage son attending a DISD high school. She says, “Jackson was born on the top floor of Methodist Hospital with the most stunning view of Oak Cliff and downtown. There is no place I’d rather raise my child than Oak Cliff. It’s my duty and privilege to help ensure Oak Cliff remains everything it is—and can be. My greatest hope is that when my son is grown and choosing his own home, he’ll agree there’s nowhere better.”
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