Mark Elrod named chair of Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission

Mark Elrod of Conway has been elected chair of the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission, and Mary Joe Rogers of Stamps has been re-elected as vice chair, the commission announced on Wednesday (Dec. 14). Both officers were elected by fellow commission members, and each will serve a one-year term, beginning in January.

Elrod, who represents Congressional District 2, is a visiting assistant professor in the political science department at the University of Central Arkansas.

Rogers, who represents the Congressional District 4, will start her second term as vice chair. She is retired a circuit clerk for Lafayette County. She was appointed to a six-year term on the commission in 2014.

There are two representatives for each Congressional District.

As an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism that works to inspire and educate individuals to reduce litter and recycle.

The next event on the horizon for the organization is the spring clean-up, and Elrod’s job is to encourage work with affiliates and the commission membership to make appearances at volunteer opportunities, he said.

Keep Arkansas Beautiful is funded by 1% of the eighth-cent conservation tax, according to the commission.