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Friends,
I am happy to announce that last week I appointed and the Little Rock Board of Directors confirmed Delphone Hubbard as the City of Little Rock's new City Manager.
While new to the permanent city manager position, he is no stranger to City Hall or to our community. He has been Little Rock fire chief since 2018, and he was acting city manager for the last three months. His proven leadership skills and experience made him the right candidate for the city manager position, and I am eager to work alongside him to make Little Rock a stronger and safer City.
City Manager Hubbard is a Memphis native who has worked in public service for more than 30 years, including as a battalion chief and division chief for the Memphis Fire Department. He is an experienced administrator and accomplished servant leader who has managed budgets and personnel. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration and an MBA. He is also battle-tested, having joined his team on the front lines during major events such as natural disasters and plane crashes.
He is an inspirational leader who is committed to always putting the people of Little Rock first. He exemplifies our team's core values, like professionalism and exceptional service.
City Manager Hubbard is the City of Little Rock's 12th city manager. He takes the place of our longtime friend and colleague, Bruce T. Moore, who transitioned on Oct. 14, 2023. Bruce was a mentor to both me and new City Manager Hubbard, and he was this City's longest-serving city manager. We honored his memory and legacy by renaming Arch Street from Fourth Street north past City Hall as Bruce T. Moore Way, a lasting reminder of the impact he had on our City.
City Manager Hubbard knows the importance and responsibility of meeting the standards of excellence set by Bruce Moore, and I am confident he will rise to that challenge. I appreciate the confidence also shown in City Manager Hubbard by the Little Rock Board of Directors, which overwhelmingly confirmed his appointment.
As city manager, he serves as the City of Little Rock's chief administrative officer. I know the City Hall team and all Little Rock residents wish him success in this new role.
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Juneteenth in Da Rock
The 16th annual Juneteenth in Da Rock festival was the best yet, as our community united to celebrate freedom and liberty for all of us. I appreciate the organizations and businesses that work together every year to make our Juneteenth celebrations a success and to ensure we observe this holiday in a meaningful and intentional way.
I hope you had the opportunity to pause on Juneteenth (Thursday, June 19) or at some point during the holiday festivities to think about the sacrifices and commitments of our forefathers and foremothers who fought for freedom and justice. At the same time, we recommit ourselves to doing the work to create a future of unity and shared opportunity.
In my Juneteenth 2025 video greeting, I talked about how City leaders are working to re-ignite historic Ninth Street in Downtown Little Rock as a hub for Black-owned business and commerce. This area of our City was once the vibrant heartbeat of Black culture, business and opportunity, and we are grateful for those helping shape its renaissance. As we move forward to implement our Downtown Master Plan, we will ensure we protect and enhance opportunity for all.
If you were not able to join us for Juneteenth in Da Rock, make plans for next year. I know our friends at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center are already gearing up for that event. In the meantime, I encourage you to visit Mosaic Templars, at the intersection of Broadway and Ninth, to learn more about the history of the Ninth Street corridor and its importance to Little Rock's past and to its promising future.
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Airport Street Naming
I joined officials from the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport last week to pay tribute to the life, legacy and impact of James R. Rodgers, Sr. Little Rock's airport renamed a street in Mr. Rodgers honor and memory, and we held a dedication ceremony with his family and friends.
A true trailblazer and community leader, Mr. Rodgers was the first African-American in the United States to lead a commercial airport. He was an Air Force veteran and graduate of Horace Mann High School who left a successful banking career to join the airport in 1977 as an administrative assistant. A few years later, he was appointed executive director, and at age 33 became the first African American to lead a commercial airport and the first to head an independent city agency.
Through his leadership, he broke barriers, paving the way for future generations in aviation and public service, not just in Little Rock but across the country. He oversaw multiple transformative projects at the airport, including a $60 million runway project that set up the airport for long-term growth.
We remain grateful to him for his efforts to support the airport and the City, and were glad for the opportunity to join his family, friends and Little Rock leaders for the naming of James R. Rodgers Sr. Drive.
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The Week Ahead
- The Little Rock Board of Directors will set the agenda for its next regular meeting on Tuesday, June 24, at 4 p.m. in the Board Room at City Hall, 500 W. Markham St. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock's Facebook and YouTube pages.
- Join the Little Rock Sustainability Commission for its regular meeting on Wednesday, June 25, at 3 p.m. for a special presentation on Plastic Free July, a month-long initiative to encourage reduction in plastics usage, in partnership with the City of Little Rock Sustainability Office. The Commission's meeting is in the community room of Centennial Bank, 1301 Rebsamen Park Road.
- The Little Rock City Beautiful Commission will meet Thursday, June 26, at 4 p.m. in the Board Room at City Hall. The City Beautiful Commission considers variance requests from the Little Rock Landscape Ordinance and also deals with issues related to overall beautification of the City.
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As always, stay up to date with what's happening in the City on Facebook, X, or Instagram via @citylittlerock. You can also email me at mayorscott@littlerock.gov or call my office at 501.371.4744.
I appreciate you!
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