During the 90th Convention, the Arkansas Municipal League recognized individual officials and municipalities for their outstanding service to their communities and to the League over the past year. The awards were presented during a June 13 luncheon and at the New Officers’ and Awards Luncheon on June 14.
The John Woodruff “City Above Self” Award is presented to an individual who has dedicated themselves to improving Arkansas’ cities and towns. This year the League presented the award to Clarksville City Clerk/Treasurer Barbara Blackard.
Eleven municipal officials received the Adrian L. White Municipal Leadership Award. The award is presented to officials who have served on the League’s boards, councils or committees for six years. The award is named in honor of White, who was the mayor of Pocahontas from 1967-1974 and a former League president and vice president. This year’s recipients are Cabot Council Member James Reid, Cave City Mayor Jonas Anderson, Crossett Mayor Crystal Marshall, Dumas Council Member Romona Weatherford, Greenwood City Clerk/Treasurer Sharla Derry, Hot Springs Mayor Pat McCabe, Jennette Recorder/Treasurer Birdia Thompson, Maumelle City Clerk/Treasurer Tina Timmons, Mountain Home Mayor Hilrey Adams, Osceola Council Member Tyler Dunegan and Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington.
Two city officials who have served the League for 12 years received the Marvin L. Vinson Commitment to Excellence Award, named for the longtime Clarksville mayor who served from 1983 until 2001 and was League president in 1992-1993. The recipients are Jonesboro Council Member Chris Gibson and Mulberry Mayor Gary Baxter.
Four city officials received the Jack R. Rhodes, Sr., Distinguished Service Award for 25 years of dedicated service to the League. Rhodes served as mayor of Lake Village from 1957 until his retirement in 1990 and was one of the longest-serving mayors in Arkansas history. This year’s recipients are Berryville Council Member Linda Riddlesperger, Dell Council Member Rodney Cooper, Hatfield Mayor Linda Denton and Paragould Council Member Mark Rowland.
Twelve cities and towns received the Four Star Municipality Award for demonstration of excellence in loss control, employee safety, wellness, vehicle safety and prevention of liability. They are: Atkins, Bearden, Calico Rock, Coal Hill, Cove, Knoxville, Lamar, Ola, Smackover, St. Charles, Swifton and Wilmot.
The Arkansas City Clerks, Recorders and Treasurers Association named Cave Springs City Clerk/Treasurer Kimberley Hutcheson its Clerk of the Year. The award is presented each year to a member of the association who has made significant contributions to the objectives of the municipal clerk profession, to the improvement of local government and to the clerk’s community.
For the past several years, the League has partnered with the Arkansas Times Publishing Group on the annual publication Block, Street & Building, which celebrates the best of new urbanism in Arkansas. For the second year in a row, the partnership has hosted a competition, Reimagine the Town You Love, which invites city planners and designers to submit ideas to transform their hometowns. The two winning designs—The University of Arkansas Community Design Center’s urban agricultural plan for the Fayetteville Public Library and a transformative design for downtown Little Rock surface parking lots by Jamie Moses and Michael McCallum of District Design PLLC—were recognized during the 90th Convention. Read about the winning designs and other innovative projects from across the state in the 2024 issue of Block, Street & Building, available online at www.bsbnewurbanism.com.
