Biography of Dan Coody

First elected in November, 2000, Dan Coody is serving his second term as Mayor of the City of Fayetteville. After receiving a B.S. in Industrial Technology at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, he completed post-graduate study in Drilling Fluid Technology with Dow Chemical.

Mayor Coody and his wife, Deborah, moved to Fayetteville in 1987 and have been actively involved in the Fayetteville community since that time. A member of the Fayetteville Board of Directors from 1991 to 1992, he initiated projects concerned with good government, appropriate business recruitment, and environmental and quality of life issues.

Since assuming office in January of 2001, Mayor Coody has focused on improvements to the infrastructure of the City, including creation of a multi-use, alternative transportation trails system and oversight of a wastewater system overhaul that is one of the largest municipal infrastructure projects in Arkansas history.

Mayor Coody is currently Co-Chair of the United States Conference of Mayors Water Council, District Vice President of the Arkansas Municipal League and an active member of ICLEI (International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives). Under his leadership, Fayetteville has become the first city in Arkansas to hire a Sustainability Coordinator in an effort to foster environmental accountability and implement sustainable policies and practices within City government.

Mayor Coody is very interested in seeing that the widespread growth that has been occurring in Northwest Arkansas for the last two decades actually enhances the livability of our community. With a focus on smart growth and new urbanism, he believes Fayetteville can grow while continuing to experience the quality of life citizens have come to expect in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Mayor Coody places value on quality sustainable development that promotes walkability, reduces urban sprawl and has a minimal impact on the environment. Also aimed at protecting and enhancing the quality of life of Fayetteville citizens, Mayor Coody has pursued projects to promote the arts in Fayetteville. He has been active in the development of the International Fulbright Piano Concerto Competition which has received applications from pianists from all the great conservatories of the world, including Juilliard, the Curtis Institute and the Royal Academy of Music (London). With the large number of talented local artists, Mayor Coody would like to see Fayetteville become known as a cultural tourism destination focusing on music, literature and art.

Other projects that Mayor Coody is pursuing include cleaning up our watersheds that provide the region's drinking water, developing a technology-based facet of our economy, and becoming a model for environmental and business interests working together.