(Little Rock, AR – January 6, 2009) The Little Rock City Board selected Gene Fortson to serve as the City’s twenty-third Vice Mayor. The selection to the two-year term was made at the body’s biennial organizational meeting.

Fortson joined the Board in September 2006, as he was appointed to fill a vacancy. He was recently elected to a four year term in Position 9, an at-large position. Vice Mayor Fortson is a graduate of UALR, the University of Arkansas, and Northwestern University and has over twenty years experience in the banking industry and another two decades of executive experience in manufacturing.

A founding trustee of Pulaski Technical College, Vice Mayor Fortson has served as a member of the Advertising and Promotion Commission and the Airport Commission.
He is married to the former Gaylia Causey; they have three children and six grandchildren.

The Vice Mayor presides at City Board meetings when the Mayor is not present and otherwise acts as Mayor during the absence or disability of the Mayor. The position of Vice Mayor was created in November 1957 with the switch to the City Manager form of government. The roster of previous Vice Mayors is:

1 - G W Blankenship	November 1957-December 1962
2 - William F. Steinkamp	January 1963-December 1966
3 - Victor E. Menafee Jr.	January 1967-December 1968
4 - Warren E. "Bud" Baldwin Jr.	January 1969-December 1970
5 - Charles Bussey	January 1971-December 1974
6 - P.A. "Les" Hollingsworth	January 1975-December 1976
7 - Jim Dailey	January 1977-December 1978
8 - Charles Bussey	January 1979-July 1981	*
9 - Myra L. Jones	July 1981-December 1984	#
10 - Charles Bussey	January 1985-December 1986
11 - F. G. "Buddy" Villines	January 1987-December 1988
12 - Sharon Priest	January 1989-December 1990
13 - Jim Dailey	January 1991-December 1992
14 - Jesse Mason	January 1993-December 1994
15 - Joan Adcock	January 1995-December 1996
16 - Michael Keck	January 1997-December 1998
17 - B. J. Wyrick	January 1999-December 2000
18 - Brad Cazort	January 2001-December 2002
19 - Willie L. Hinton	January 2003-December 2004
20 - Barbara Graves	January 2005-September 2006	**
21 - Brad Cazort	September 2006-December 2006	##
22 - Stacy Hurst	January 2007-December 2008

*Mr. Bussey was selected Mayor following the resignation of Webster Hubbell.
#Ms. Jones was selected Vice Mayor to fill out the remainder of Mr. Bussey’s term and was subsequently selected to another term.
**Ms. Graves resigned as Vice Mayor and City Director to run for Mayor.
##Mr. Cazort was selected Vice Mayor to fill out the remainder of Ms. Graves’ term.

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