President’s Perspective

AAC’s board president bids adieu

It has been my sincere pleasure to serve on the Board of Directors of the Association of Arkansas Counties for the past 18 years, 15 years of which have been as president. There have been highs and lows while serving in this position, but at the end of the day, serving on the AAC board has been a rewarding experience that I will remember with pride and respect for years to come.

During my tenure as president, I have served with four different AAC executive directors — Jim Baker, Brenda Pruitt, Eddie Jones and Chris Villines. Each one had a unique personality and style of leadership, but all had the common goal of making the AAC the best organization it could be. All four executive directors improved and expanded the services that AAC offers to the counties.

As the umbrella for the nine elected official organizations, one of the AAC’s top priorities is to maintain peace and unity among its members. I feel the staff and board have done a magnificent job of keeping all our organizations on the same page to reach our common goal — improvement of county government in Arkansas.

Since serving on the board, I have seen the AAC building expanded on two different occasions. Each expansion was needed to provide the space necessary for the growing number of services and programs that are so important to county government. Can you imagine being a newly elected official and not having this organization available to provide the guidance and legal expertise to help you in your job? After being county judge for 24 years, I still call on our AAC office for information and direction on a regular basis. Do I always get the answer I want to hear? No, but the AAC staff is always there to help us navigate the troubled waters we face daily in county government. Just think how difficult our jobs would be without the staff at AAC.

Over the years as county judge, I have never called the AAC without hearing a pleasant voice on the other end asking, “How may we help you?” And helped me they have.

In the Bible we read in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the Heaven.” A couple of years ago, I came to the realization it was time for me to step aside as county judge in Johnson County. My mind wanted to stay, but in my heart I knew it was time for a younger generation with new ideas and the energy level to bring them to reality. As a result, I did not run for re-election. Therefore, this is my last president’s page for the County Lines magazine.

I want to say, “thank you,” to all the elected officials in this great state of Arkansas, especially the County Judges’ Association for allowing me to serve on this board for so many years. I have had the pleasure of serving with some of the greatest people on Earth — public servants. A very special “thank you” to my wife, Sandra, who has supported me in all I have endeavored to do at the county, state and national levels.

The future of the AAC is bright, and with the quality leadership of Chris Villines and the board of directors, the sky is the limit.

The Honorable Mike Jacobs Johnson County Judge / AAC Board President

President’s Perspective Hon. Mike Jacobs AAC Board President; Johnson County Judge

ArkAnsAs stAte CApitol snApsHots

The Arkansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial, located west of the Capitol and near the headquarters of several state agencies, is a 50-by-70-foot plaza with a bronze statue of four firefighters and a child, a fountain, memorial wall bearing the names of Arkansas firefighters who died while on duty, an amphitheater and two walkways. The idea for the memorial started in the 1980s; ground was broken in March 2013.