Jeff Hawkins, executive director at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission for more than two decades, is stepping down after the first of the year, he said Thursday.
"I'm sure you've noticed in the recent past I have increasingly turned more and more over to the staff, the reason being is to ensure that they're fully capable of carrying on without me at the helm, and that time has come," Hawkins said. "The commission staff is second to none, and they're fully capable of doing the important work that needs to be done going forward and without me."
Hawkins is recommending Tim Conklin, assistant director, succeed him.
"In my absence and until the commission decides on a succession plan, Tim Conklin will be acting director," Hawkins said. "My best advice would be to move Tim up."
Hawkins has led the commission for almost 22 years and said he believes he is leaving the organization in better shape than he found it.
"When I came, a third of the local governments were not members and, in fact, two of the original seven founding members, Siloam Springs and Benton County, had dropped out of the commission years and years earlier. To say that the organization was regional was a bit questionable in the minds of many," Hawkins said.
"I'm proud to say that today, every local government in the two-county area is a member, as is the airport authority and Beaver Water District. Everybody has a seat at the table, and everybody has a voice in regional affairs here at Regional Planning, especially when it comes to transportation matters."
Hawkins said he'll take some time off after the first of the year before concluding his employment with the commission.
"I have some projects that I am committed to finishing, but I don't expect to be in the office much after the first of the year," Hawkins said. "But, I'll have my phone and, as always, you can call day or night if need be."
Upon retirement, Hawkins will have served as a planning director in Arkansas for 47 years, including 23 years as executive director of the Southeast Arkansas Regional Planning Commission and planning director for the city of Jonesboro from 1999-2001. Hawkins took the job in Northwest Arkansas in 2001.
Doug Sprouse, mayor of Springdale, said Hawkins is a man of many talents and helped the region prepare for its current growth.
"Jeff is recognized not only in Northwest Arkansas, but across the state and broader region as the 'go to' for everything from infrastructure funding to census counts," Sprouse said. "He has been instrumental during his years of leadership in helping cities and counties address and prepare for continued growth. I wish him the very best in retirement, but we're going to miss him."
Hawkins is also well-versed in annexation law and redistricting.
He is also being praised as a willing partner who worked with other regional organizations toward common goals.
"Jeff's strategic vision and leadership at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission has helped foster a strong 20-year partnership with the Northwest Arkansas Council because both organizations are dedicated to pursuing innovative regional solutions that serve the changing needs of Northwest Arkansas residents," said Rob Smith, policy director at the Northwest Arkansas Council. "Jeff deserves a great retirement because he's meant so much to what Northwest Arkansas is and what it will be."
Under Hawkins, the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission applied for and received a $15 million TIGER II grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation -- and a $13 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation -- to build the Northwest Arkansas Razorback Regional Greenway, a 37-mile-long, shared-use trail that extends from Bella Vista to Fayetteville, passing through six downtown areas along the way.
The commission also applied for and was awarded a $25 million BUILD Program grant that made possible the completion of Interstate 49 from Bentonville to Pineville, Mo., also known as the Bella Vista Bypass.
Transportation Management Agency status was recognized after 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data indicated the area had grown from 172,585 residents in 2000 to 295,083 in 2010. The 200,000 population mark is the threshold for an area to become a Transportation Management Area, which qualifies the region for more federal money for regionally significant projects.
The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission has created many plans and programs during Hawkins' tenure including the Northwest Arkansas 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the regional Transportation Improvement Program, the Cave Springs Area Karst Resource Conservation Study, the regional Congestion Management Process, the Intelligent Transportation System Architecture and Deployment Plan, the regional Transportation Alternatives Analysis, the regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and the regional Open Space Plan.
The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission was formed in 1966 through a cooperative agreement among Benton and Washington counties and the cities of Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs and Springdale.
In 1983, the commission was designated as the metropolitan planning organization under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations for transportation planning purposes in the region.
Hawkins
Sprouse
Conklin