Capi Peck never saw herself as a politician, and only within the past year decided that she would seek election to the Ward 4 seat on the Little Rock Board of Directors.
She took the oath of office Sunday, along with fellow board members Joan Adcock, Dean Kumpuris and Gene Fortson, who were each re-elected to their seats. The group will serve a four-year term.
Peck is the only new member joining the board this term. She will replace longtime City Director Brad Cazort, who didn't run for re-election.
"The only other times I have run for office were in junior high and high school," Peck said. "I have volunteered and worked on political campaigns during my life, but I never really entertained the thought of running for office."
Peck is owner of Trio's restaurant, a staple of Little Rock's independent restaurant scene. She's also served on the city's Advertising and Promotion Commission for the past decade and is currently serving as chairman. She credits that experience -- as an ambassador for the city -- in developing her "sense of civic pride and responsibility."
In her inaugural term as city director, Peck said she aims to set up a strong foundation for the city's future.
"I believe we are at a crossroads in many ways in Little Rock, and I want to help lead our city forward so that this great place I am proud to call home can become a progressive, forward-looking Southern city we can all take pride in. I want our children and the generations to come to have a safe and nurturing place in which to grow up. I want to work on bringing high-tech jobs to our area so that our young people can choose to stay here to help move Little Rock forward," Peck said.
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About an hour before the Little Rock elected officials were sworn in, a swearing-in ceremony took place in North Little Rock.
Across the river, Ron Harris is the only new member of the North Little Rock City Council, taking over the Ward 3 position.
Joining him in taking the oath of a new term were Mayor Joe Smith, City Clerk/Treasurer Diane Whitbey and Aldermen Beth White, Maurice Taylor and Charlie Hight. Assistant City Attorney Paula Juels Jones was also sworn in to replace retiring District Judge Jim Hamilton, and District Judge Randy Morley took the oath of a new term.
All terms are for four years.
Pulaski County elected officials will be sworn in at 6 p.m. Thursday in the fourth-floor Quorum Court room at the Pulaski County Administration Building. A reception will follow.
On Tuesday, Maumelle will have a swearing-in ceremony for its four returning aldermen just before its 6 p.m. City Council meeting.
Sherwood held its ceremony for re-elected officials Sunday.
After Little Rock's Sunday ceremony, many people congratulated Peck on her first term at a reception that followed.
Before the day's events, she recalled the start of her restaurant, Trio's. She credits her skills in the hospitality business to her paternal grandparents, Sam and Henreyetta Peck, who owned and operated a hotel and restaurant in Little Rock from 1938 into the 1970s.
Capi Peck is the fourth-generation Peck to work in the hospitality business in the city. She was 33 years old when she started Trio's in 1986 with her partner, Brent Peterson, along with two other people. The couple soon bought out the other partners and turned the restaurant into the success it is today.
Peck and Peterson were married for 17 years and continued as business partners even after their divorce, and they now live together.
Peck grew up in the Heights neighborhood and attended Little Rock public schools.
"My father and grandmother were my mentors and taught me to be independent from a young age. They also instilled in me a desire and commitment to give back to the community, to speak my mind and to be my own person," Peck said. "This doesn't seem like anything earth-shattering now, but in the 1950s and 1960s in Little Rock, this was not a lesson many young women learned at home."
She said that as a city leader, she will be a strong advocate for the Little Rock School District. She said she has ties to the LGBT, black and Hispanic communities and will advocate for their voices to be heard within city politics.
"I want my home to be a welcoming place for all, a safe place for all and a city we can all be proud of," she said.
Metro on 01/02/2017