Little Rock gets 20 applications to fill vacant Ward 1 Board of Directors seat

Board to assess applicants before voting

A memorial display for the late Ward 1 City Director Erma Hendrix of Little Rock is shown in the City Hall rotunda in this Sept. 13, 2021, file photo. Hendrix died at her home on Sept. 8, 2021, at age 91. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Stephen Swofford)
A memorial display for the late Ward 1 City Director Erma Hendrix of Little Rock is shown in the City Hall rotunda in this Sept. 13, 2021, file photo. Hendrix died at her home on Sept. 8, 2021, at age 91. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Stephen Swofford)

The Little Rock Board of Directors has received 20 applicants interested in filling the Ward 1 vacancy of late City Director Erma Hendrix, according to city documents.

Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said in a statement that he was pleased with the strong interest from citizens wanting to participate in local government.

"Civic engagement is crucial to a vibrant city, and it's encouraging to see such a diverse list of individuals who've submitted an application," Scott said.

The applicant pool includes Loretta Hendrix, Erma Hendrix's daughter. Erma Hendrix served for more than a decade for Ward 1 until her death on Sept. 8 at the age of 91.

Other applicants include activist Anika Whitfield, former city public relations director Michael Hutchinson, Virgil L. Miller, Jr., who worked on the city's recently failed sales tax campaign, and Valerie Pruitt, former executive director of the nonprofit The Reform Alliance.

Scott previously set a deadline of last Thursday for the Ward 1 applications. He said city directors were to review the applications starting Friday and rank the top seven by Tuesday. The top applicants will be allowed to speak to the board and a vote will take place Oct. 12 to fill the position.

The position will be up for election in 2022. The ward's boundaries encompass Little Rock's downtown core, south of Interstate 630 and a large area surrounding the airport.

The Board of Directors is made up of seven board members who represent seven wards. Three additional positions on the board are elected at-large.

The applicants to replace Erma Hendrix represent a wide range of backgrounds and qualifications.

Michael Adkins, 55, has lived in Ward 1 for more than 40 years and has been in law enforcement, including for the city of Little Rock, for more than 30 years, according to his application. He said his education is from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy.

Phillip Bryant, 75, is self-employed and works a multitude of jobs including minister, motivational speaker and author, according to his resume. It also states he has a Bachelor's of Arts from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The life-long city resident also previously ran for an at-large position on the board.

Eric Spencer Buchanan, 66, has a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School 0f Law and Bachelor of Arts from University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He's worked in numerous regards as an attorney, including positions with the United States District Court of Arkansas and through his private law practice, The Buchanan Firm.

John Paul Gairhan, 53, has worked in numerous technology jobs and been employed by IBM Analytics Platform, Mastech Info Trellis and currently works as the chief technology officer for Bambu Systems, according to his resume. He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Frederick D. Gentry , 44, has spent more than 16 years helping more than a dozen civic organizations, including previously serving as president of Arkansas Foundation Board of Directors and as the current president of the Historic Pettaway Neighborhood Association, according to his resume. He attended Arkansas State University of Beebe. He currently works as a coordinator and executive assistant to the CEO of Rector Phillips Morse Realty, but formerly was an assistant to the Little Rock City Board of Directors and special projects manager for the city. His employment history also includes political adviser for Little Rock Reform Now.

Dwight Wesley Hall, 36, has volunteer experience that includes being on the SOMA 501 board of directors, Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association president and Arkansas Baptist College Young Alumni board of directors, his resume said. He currently is owner of DHall homes and property manager for Plush Homes Co. His resume also lists more than half a dozen jobs in the academic realm, from adviser to instructor. Hall has a Masters from Webster University in Little Rock, a Master of Arts from Full Sail University in Florida and a Bachelor of Arts from Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock.

Loretta J. Hendrix, 73, said she worked alongside her mother to support projects and programs during her mother's tenure on the City Board. As the managing director of the nonprofit IRDMatrix, she has secured grants for programs such as Dunbar/Gibbs safe routes to school program. Her resume also said she's volunteered with organizations such as National Organization of Black Law Enforcement. It also said she received her Masters Degree from University of Missouri in Columbia and a Bachelor's of Arts from Arkansas AM&N College, now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Michael R. Hutchison, 59, has sat on other boards in the city, including the Capital District Zoning Commission and as vice chairman of the Little Rock Housing Authority. He also has nearly 30 years of public relations experience including time as the public relations director for the City of Little Rock. He currently works as the executive assistant to the Little Rock School District deputy superintendent for academics. Hutchinson's resume states he has a Bachelor of Arts from University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Rickey Jackson, 63, submitted a candidate submission but a resume and cover letter detailing education and work experience was not included in the documents.

Curtis A. Johnson III, 53, currently works as the executive director of operations for Pulaski County Special School District and has held numerous jobs at academic institutions including ones on the law enforcement side. He previously has served as the president on the Historically Black College and Universities -- Law Enforcement and Executives board and the board of the Sickle Cell Support Services of Arkansas. He has a Master's from Webster University and a Bachelor of Arts from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Danny Lewis, 59, said in his cover letter that he has experience in residential and commercial real estate construction and sales. He also notes current leadership with various non-profits and that he is a lifelong resident of Little Rock.

Sheila Taylor Miles, 60, said she's spent time serving the community as the president and chief executive officer of the Wright Avenue Neighborhood Association. According to her resume, her work has helped bring affordable high-speed broadband to the community and created resources for projects such as the Historic Wright Avenue Streetscape and the reopening of the Wright Avenue Neighborhood Resource Center. She also has years of experience working as project lead for multiple entities, her resume said. Miles has a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Arts from Webster University, Little Rock and a Bachelor of Science and Associate of Science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, according to her letter.

Virgil L. Miller, 68, currently works as the group community reinvestment act director for Arvest Bank Operations in Little Rock and has held a long career of banking jobs in the city, according to his resume. He lists more than 40 organizations he has served on and half a dozen he currently is a member of, including the Arkansas Arts Center and City of Little Rock Consolidated Planning Committee. He also helped the recent unsuccessful city sales tax campaign. He lists his education as a Bachelor of Science from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville.

Dale J. Pekar, 71, has spent many years as an economist and contract specialist with federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service. He also has spent years volunteering in the community, most recently as a volunteer tutor through Literary Action of Central Arkansas. He has a Master of Science and Bachelor of Art from Trinity University.

Sarah Pilcher, 39, is currently president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association and works as a community outreach specialist and an emergency preparedness coordinator for the Community Health Centers of Arkansas, according to her resume. She has worked as a research administrator and administrative specialist. She lists numerous civic organizations she has worked with, including the covid-19 work group through the Arkansas Department of Health. Her education includes a Masters of Public Health from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

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Valerie Pruitt, 63, most recently was the executive director for The Reform Alliance, a nonprofit, geared at education reform and school choice opportunities for Arkansas students, her resume said. Her resume shows a long history of working in public relation and community outreach jobs, with a stint early in her career working as an assistant to Little Rock mayor. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, according to her resume and has had community involvement in about a dozen organizations including a current board member position for Our House Inc., Community Investment Corporation and the Dunbar Historic Neighborhood Association.

Veletta P. Smith, 59, currently is the chief deputy county attorney for Pulaski County, her resume shows. She's worked in various legal positions throughout her career. Her resume shows a Juris Doctorate from University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She notes volunteering in the community has been an important part of her life and this includes currently serving on the City of Little Rock Housing Board of Adjustment and Appeals and serving on the Commission for Children.

Robert Webb, 52, is one of multiple candidates who ran for the Ward 1 position in 2018. He lists multiple political affiliations on his resume, including a committee member for Little Rock Targeted Community Development, Arkansas Democrat Black Caucus and Metropolitan Housing Alliance. He also notes he's attended more than 600 City of Little Rock board meetings.

Anika Whitfield, 48, is the co-chair and organizer of many advocacy organizations in the region, including Arkansas Poor People's Campaign, Grassroots Arkansas, No Taxation Without Representation and Save Our Schools. She also works as an assistant minister at The Church Without Walls Global Outreach Ministries and previously worked in private practice as a podiatrist. Her education includes a Bachelor of Science from Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis.

Karen Zuccardi, 38, is a sustainable economic development consultant and program associate, according to her resume. Her volunteer experience includes chair of Little Rock Sustainability Commission and co-founder of Social Entrepreneurship Committee at Clinton School of Public Service. She has a Masters of Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Arts from Lafayette College, Easton, Penn.

CORRECTIONS: A previous version of this story misstated the employer of Karen Zuccardi, applicant to fill the Little Rock City director vacancy. Frederick D. Gentry is an applicant to fill the vacant Little Rock Ward 1 seat. An earlier version of this story misspelled Gentry’s name.

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