Donald Hatchett has announced his candidacy for Pine Bluff City Council, Ward 3, in the Democratic primary on March 1.
Hatchett is a 1975 graduate of the University of Arkansas and completed a five-year program in economic and community development at the University of Central Arkansas in 2005. He is certified in project management and has training in community development, economic development and business retention and expansion, he said in a press release.
Hatchett retired from Entergy Arkansas after more than 30 years of experience in customer service and account management. He is a member of the Pine Bluff Rotary Club. His former board and commission affiliations include the United Way Board of Directors, Pine Bluff Planning Commission, Boys and Girls Club of Jefferson County, Pine Bluff Parks and Recreation Commission, Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Single Parent Scholarship Fund and The Pine Bluff Clean and Beautiful Commission. He is a graduate of Leadership Pine Bluff and the Cornerstone Leadership Coalition.
Top priorities on the city council will be promoting “better government for a better Pine Bluff” through economic and community development, he said in the press release. Hatchett plans to advocate for fair and consistent code enforcement in areas of abandoned properties, including overgrown lots and junk vehicles in neighborhoods. He plans to campaign for greater support from city hall regarding the establishment of neighborhood-based organizations that will assist in monitoring and reporting code violations, crime and neighborhood blight. Also, he supports the use of Internet- based code violation reporting, tracking, city permit processing and payment transactions.
The position is currently held by Glen Brown Sr., who has not announced his intentions regarding re-election.