SPRINGDALE -- Gov. Asa Hutchinson has appointed a middle-school teacher and longtime Republican activist to the Washington County Quorum Court's empty seat.
Sharon Lloyd, 55, last month began representing Springdale's District 2, a segment of town bordered by Tontitown, Elm Springs and much of northern and eastern Springdale. She'll serve until the end of 2016 and can't run for re-election.
Profile
Sharon Lloyd
Washington County Quorum Court District 2
Republican
Age: 55
Residency: Springdale, 4 years
Family: Roddy, husband; two children
Employment: Springdale Public Schools middle school special education teacher
Education: Bachelor’s of science degree in elementary and special education, Missouri Southern State University
Military Experience: None
Political Experience: None
Source: Staff Report
Lloyd takes the place of Republican Jimmy Mardis, who resigned earlier this year after no one ran for the position in the November election. In that situation, state law required Mardis to stay on the Quorum Court or quit.
Lloyd said she hopes to be a conservative and attentive member of the county team.
"I'm not shy about asking questions. I'm not shy about giving opinions," she said. "My agenda is to serve the people of Washington County and represent Springdale."
Lloyd comes from leadership positions in county and state Republican groups, including a district director position with the Arkansas Federation of Republican Women. She has volunteered with political campaigns every two years and last year helped with Women Speak Out, an anti-abortion group.
"I'm just one of your big political junkies," Lloyd said, but her passion hadn't led to public office before. "This is the first rodeo."
Lloyd comes in during a busy time for the Quorum Court. At her first meeting, she voted with most of the other justices of the peace to pay $1 million of foreclosure fees owed to the state in 12 monthly payments. Since then, concern over whether the county Road Department did a shoddy job building bridges has become an ongoing controversy.
Lance Johnson, chairman of the Washington County Republicans, described Lloyd as "strong-willed" but easy to work with.
"She's been involved with the Republican party at several levels for probably 25 years," he said. "I think she is a very conservative Republican, and she's absolutely a lady that gets things done."
Lloyd has worked in education for 20 years, she said, earning an education degree in Missouri before working as an assistant principal in Texas and moving to Springdale four years ago to work as a special education teacher at J.O. Kelly Middle School.
Being the oldest of five siblings set her on the education and caretaking path, she said.
Lloyd said her political passion won't make her blindly partisan, and she's not afraid of breaking with her fellow Republicans.
"I take it very seriously," she said, adding she wasn't there simply to fill a seat. "I wanted another challenge, I think, and I wanted to get involved. I simply adore Washington County."
NW News on 04/04/2015