Forty Under 40: Maggie Rice

Maggie Rice has always had the skills she feels are essential in her position.

“I’ve always been a planner,” she said. “I like to make sure things are organized and all my ducks are in a row. I’m certainly a glass half-full kind of person.”

It wasn’t long after getting her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arkansas that Rice, a Fort Smith native, knew she wanted to return and serve the citizens of her hometown.

“I wanted to make a difference,” Rice said. “When you’re in local government you can have such a significant effect on citizens every day.”

Rice, who gave birth to her first child, a daughter, in July, spent time interning in the Fort Smith planning department while in graduate school and was hooked on that line of work.

About six months after graduating, a full-time position in that department came open.

Rice has been instrumental in her development of the Fort Smith Unified Development ordinance, which provides land use and zoning regulations to promote the city’s orderly growth and expansion. She also oversees the administration of the architectural design guidelines for Fort Smith’s most historic neighborhood and led the city to being the first in Arkansas to adopt a citywide preservation plan to promote its historic heritage.

Rice is active in the Rotary Club in Fort Smith.