City Team Members Earn Recognition
Little Rock’s greatest asset is its people, and we are always grateful for those who make up our city government team. They work every day to make Arkansas’s capital city a better place to live, work, and play.
In May, we paid special tribute to our approximately 2,500 municipal team members with activities and events for Employee Appreciation Month. As part of that recognition, we honored the City employees who exemplify our core values of public service and excellence. Our Employee of the Year award nominees and finalists all demonstrate a commitment to their work and to the community, and it is our privilege to honor them for their service.
The 2026 Mahlon A. Martin City of Little Rock Employee of the Year is Oscar Cervantes of our Department of Housing and Neighborhood Programs.
Oscar is a rental supervisor in our Code Enforcement Division. He leads a five-person inspection team responsible for making sure rental homes meet code standards and tenants have safe, stable housing.
Under his leadership, the number of annual rental inspections has nearly doubled because of improved organization, better staff coordination, and a proactive enforcement approach. Oscar makes resident well-being his top priority as he works directly with landlords and tenants to quickly and effectively resolve issues.
Because of his dedication and leadership, he has made a significant impact on housing safety and neighborhood quality in Little Rock.
Oscar encourages others to “stay committed, work hard, treat people with respect, and always give your best effort no matter the task.”
Oscar has been with the City of Little Rock for eight years. He was among three finalists for the Mahlon A. Martin Employee of the Year Award. Other finalists were Denise James of the District Court staff and Sherri Latimer of the City Attorney’s Office.
Denise has worked for the City of Little Rock for almost 43 years, and she was named a finalist because of her longtime service and because her quick thinking and actions have been essential to court security and public safety.
Sherri is senior deputy city attorney who oversees the division responsible for Freedom of Information Act requests. She led implementation of a new system improving how we handle requests, ensuring continued timely access to information. She often takes on special projects that improve efficiency and organization.
We congratulate Oscar, Denise, Sherri, and all of our team members whose work is vital for Little Rock’s residents and guests.
