| State Senator Joyce Elliott represents Senate District 31, comprising parts of Little Rock and Pulaski County. She was elected to the Senate in 2008, after having served three terms in the House of Representatives, from 2001 through 2006. She is vice chair of Senate Education for the 93rd General Assembly. Senator Elliott is also a member of Senate Insurance and Commerce Committee, Joint Retirement and Social Security Committee, Joint Budget Committee, Arkansas Legislative Council and Legislative Joint Auditing Committee and serves on several different committees.
In 2013 Senator Elliott received the Arkansas Municipal League Distinguished Legislator Award. In 2003 the Central Arkansas Labor Council honored her with the Marty Schuller Community Service Award. The same year WiLL (Women's Legislative Lobby) recognized her with its Pacesetter Award for leadership and commitment to the vision of a just, peaceful and inclusive world. Also, she was named by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as one of the Ten Best Legislators of the 2003 General Assembly and the 2005 General Assembly.
In 2003 Elliott received the Working Families Hero Award from Service Employees International Union Local 100 and the Women Who Mean Business Award from Business and Professional Women of Arkansas.
In 2004, Little Rock Monthly listed her among Ten Women We Love. That same year she received the Arkansas Spirit Award from the Arkansas chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Impact Award from the Arkansas Regional Minority Supplier Development Council.
In 2004, Elliott also was recognized by Women and Children First- The
Center Against Family Violence for her advocacy. In 2004, Elliott was one
of only 15 women state legislators nationwide to participate in the Foreign
Policy Institute for State Legislators sponsored by the Center for Women's
Policy Studies. She was also selected by the center as one of 16 women -
six from the U.S. and 10 members of parliaments from 10 other countries
- to participate in the GlobalPOWER Class of 2006, which focused on the
status of women around the world.
Senator Elliott was honored by LULAC (League of United Latin American
Citizens) with the 2005 President's Award, was named by Power Play
magazine as the 2005 Power Player of the Year, was honored by The
Omni Center for Peace and Justice and Ecology with an Arkansas Heroes
Award for Peace and Justice, and was honored by The Center for Healing
Hearts and Spirits with its Advocacy Award.
In 2005, she was honored by her alma mater, Southern Arkansas
University, with a Distinguished Alumni Award; by the Arkansas Black Hall
of Fame with the Founder's Award; and by the Arkansas Public Service
Association with an Advocacy Award. The same year, she was honored by
the National Conference for Community and Justice with its 2006
Humanitarian Award, and the Democratic Party of Arkansas honored her
with its Gressie Carnes Democratic Woman of the Year Award.
In 2006, ACLU-Arkansas named Elliott the Civil Libertarian of the Year. In
2007, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families presented her its
2006 Legislative Friend of Children Award. Later that year, the Arkansas
chapter of 100 Black Men recognized her with its Pillar Award for
Education.
And in 2009, Arkansas's Talk Business magazine named her as one of the
Top Ten Legislators of the 2009 Legislative Session, the only freshman so
named.
Senator Elliott is a member of the NAACP, the Arkansas Women's Forum
and the Arkansas Women's Leadership Forum and serves on the board of
directors for the Milton P. Crenchaw Aviation Training Academy.
She has served on the board of directors of the MacArthur Museum of
Arkansas Military History (Little Rock), Just Communities of Central
Arkansas (Little Rock), Women's Action for New Directions (WAND)
Education Fund (Arlington, Mass.) and City Year of Little Rock.
A former member of the American Federation of Teachers and the National
Commission on Writing in America's Schools and Colleges, Senator Elliott
also served on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards,
the College Board of Trustees and the National Commission on the High
School Senior Year.
Senator Elliott was born in Willisville, where she graduated from high
school. She earned an undergraduate degree in English and speech from
Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia in 1973 and a graduate degree
in English from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia in 1981.
For 30 years Elliott taught high school juniors and seniors Advanced
Placement and standard courses. She has taught in Florida, Minnesota and
Texas. In 2004 Senator Elliott left the classroom and began working for
the College Board, focusing on expanding access to AP classes for
students currently underrepresented- African-American, Latino, rural and
low-income students.
Senator Elliott has been active with the Democratic Party at the local, state
and national level, having served as first vice chairman of the Democratic
Party of Arkansas, a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC)
and its Resolution Committee.
She is a member of Mosaic Church and enjoys reading, whitewater rafting,
canoeing, traveling, walking/hiking, working out at the gym, listening to
various types of music, dancing and seeking an overall balanced life.
Senator Elliott has one son, Elliott Barnes of Little Rock. |