Frank Scott, Jr. began his second four-year term as Mayor of Little Rock  on Jan. 1, 2023. During his time in office, Mayor Scott has worked  toward uniting Little Rock’s diverse neighborhoods through expanding  our economy, creating new opportunities for educational growth for Little  Rock’s students, enhancing public safety and improving the quality of life  and place in Arkansas’ capital city. 

 

Mayor Scott has pledged to be Little Rock’s Chief Growth Officer, and  has overseen the creation of more than 8000 jobs to date. Little Rock’s  population has grown to more than 203,000 residents as the Mayor  pushes jobs growth and economic development, making Little Rock a  catalyst for the new South. New developments, such as Trex, Trader  Joe’s, Fiocchi, Topgolf and more highlight the momentum of this  growing and thriving city.  

 

Under the Mayor’s leadership, the City established the position of Chief  Education Officer and helped implement a Community Schools model in  six Little Rock School District schools. These schools integrate  individualized student support services, expand and enrich learning  opportunities, and operate as a neighborhood hub to provide other needed  trainings and services for students’ families. 

 

Mayor Scott worked with the Little Rock Board of Directors to make the  Little Rock Police Department the highest-paid municipal force in the  State, and to provide LRPD with the equipment and tools it needs to  protect Little Rock neighborhoods including the implementation of full time social workers within the LRPD. Mayor Scott has also worked to  expand community programs to reduce violence as part of his holistic and  comprehensive crime reduction strategy. 

 

With quality of life and place as a priority, Mayor Scott has established a  task force to address downtown development and density. Another task  force is tasked with the goal of eliminating food deserts and ensuring all  Little Rock residents have access to nutritious food. His renewed  emphasis on parks and recreation has led to improvements at city parks  and at the Little Rock Zoo, even as he works to identify and implement  long-range strategies for War Memorial and Hindman parks.  Mayor Scott, who was first sworn in as Mayor in January 2019, began his  public-service career in the office of Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, where  he first served as Deputy Policy Director and later as Director of  Intergovernmental Affairs. While on Beebe’s staff, Scott continued his  education, earning a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from  the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. That degree, with a  concentration in finance, complemented Scott’s undergraduate degree in  Business Administration from the Fogelman College of Business at the  University of Memphis.  

 

Determined to put his finance training to work, Scott accepted a position  as a Community Banker with First Security Bank, giving him insight into  the issues facing small businesses across the City. At the same time, he  continued to devote a significant amount of time to serving both his City and State as a member of the Port of Little Rock Board of Directors and  as a member of the Arkansas Highway Commission – experiences which  gave Scott an understanding of the critical infrastructure that forms the  backbone of any city.  

 

He is the immediate past president of the African-American Mayors  Association, a national organization representing African-American  mayors from across the country.  

 

As an associate pastor, youth mentor, and professional, Mayor Scott lives  out the values he learned growing up in Southwest Little Rock, the same  area where he lives, today. He gives back to the City that invested in him and reminds young people regularly that values are the foundation of a purpose-filled life.