Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department Director Dan Flowers has been recognized by Metroplan , Arkansas ’ largest metropolitan planning organization, for his efforts to promote intergovernmental planning and cooperation through new legislation.  Flowers was presented with the prestigious 2005 Jack Evans Regional Leadership Award by the Metroplan Board of Directors at their meeting in Little Rock on January 25, 2006.

            The award was presented to Flowers for providing outstanding leadership in the passage of Act 2275 of 2005, known as the Regional Mobility Act. The act allows an individual county, or a group of contiguous counties, to form a public corporation to address regional transportation problems. The regional mobility authorities would have limited power to implement local taxes and issue bonds to build and operate improvements to surface transportation systems.

            “The Regional Mobility Authority Act is a potentially groundbreaking piece of legislation that could hold the key to metropolitan regions meeting their transportation needs in the future,” stated Jim McKenzie, Executive Director of Metroplan.  “Only a few states have anything like this, and the main reason Arkansas has it is because of the foresight and leadership of Dan Flowers.”

            Upon receiving the award, Flowers said, “I am pleased to have been a part of the legislative effort to pass the Regional Mobility Act, and am honored to receive this award. Many people worked hard to pass this important legislation, and I accept on behalf of all who helped in that process. My knowledge of Metroplan’s efforts and how we work together on many issues makes this a special award.”

            The Jack Evans Regional Leadership Award was established by the Metroplan Board in 1993 to honor the late Mayor Jack Evans of Sherwood , Arkansas . It is given to an individual, group, company, or institution for providing outstanding public service.

            Flowers has been with the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department for 36 years and has served as Director since 1994.  He is a past president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, a member of the University of Arkansas ’ Academy of Civil Engineering and serves on the Mack-Blackwell Transportation Center ’s Professional Advisory Board on the Fayetteville campus of the University of Arkansas .    

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