New Calico Rock mayor hopes to see town grow
CALICO ROCK — Greg Hamby, 54, wants to help his hometown grow and prosper.
“That’s why I chose to run for mayor,” he said, noting that he did not have a specific platform as he campaigned for the office.
“I just went door-to-door … telling people that I wanted to do what I could to help the town. I was pleased with the results,” he said, adding that he defeated the incumbent mayor, Ronald Guthrie, in the November 2018 election. “I was nervous … still am, … but it gets better every day.”
According to the Arkansas secretary of state’s website, sos. arkansas.gov, Hamby received 52.97 percent of the vote, or 196 votes, while Guthrie received 47.03 percent, or 174 votes.
“I retired from my job at Eaton Corp. in Mountain Home so I could be a full-time mayor,” Hamby said, noting that the company makes hydraulic hoses. “I worked there for 30 years. I worked in construction for five years before that.”
Hamby served on the Calico Rock City Council for 10 years as a representative of Ward 2.
“I ran for City Council for the same reason … to help my hometown,” he said.
Hamby, who graduated from Calico Rock High School in 1983, said he has been “busy” since he was sworn in as mayor of the small Izard County town, located directly on the banks of the White River in north-central Arkansas.
“I’ve attended one leadership training workshop and plan to attend another one in the summer,” he said.
“I want to try to help get new industry in the town,” Hamby said. “I want to try to help clean up the town as well. I am working on that. … It’s going to take money and time. We are working on the budget. … You are limited on what you can do.
“Things are still in the planning stages right now.”
With his new job have come other opportunities to become more involved in his community, which, he said, relies heavily on tourism.
He is now a member of the Calico Rock Community Foundation Inc. Board of Trustees, which operates and supports the Calico Rock Museum System, which includes the Calico Rock Heritage & Visitor Center, the Tomlinson Art & Science Center, the Artisan Gift Shop, Brushstrokes Gift Shop and the Printing Press Cafe.
“It’s great to have [Hamby] on our board,” said Gloria Sanders, executive director of the Calico Rock Heritage & Visitor Center. “We are looking forward to working closely with him in the future. Tourism is still good. … We are looking to expand in the future.”
Hamby said the population of Calico Rock is 1,545.
He said that population figure includes approximately 500 inmates at the North Central Unit of the Arkansas Department of Correction, located in the city limits. Hamby said the town benefits from the prison because of the “state turnback funds” it receives and because of the number of jobs the prison creates, plus the number of hours the inmates spend working on projects in the town.
“We use the inmates for work all over town,” Hamby said. “The prison has been a positive influence on the town.
“However, tourism will continue to be the No. 1 reason for our future growth. The museum is on track for growth and for bringing more people to our area. The welcome center is a big help for growing tourism.”
Hamby is also a member of the Calico Rock Industrial Development Council, the Calico Rock Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club and is a deacon in the First Baptist Church in Calico Rock.
Hamby and his wife, Terri Sue, were high school sweethearts. She is the manager at Harps Food Store in Calico Rock, where she has been employed for 35 years.
The Hambys have two adult children. Their daughter, Haley, 27, and her husband, Joshua Story, live in Jordan, Arkansas, in Baxter County, where she is a stay-at-home mom with their two children, Emily Rose, 2, and Weston Michael, 1. The Hambys’ son, Dylan, 24, is a student at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, where he is in his sixth year of study to become an occupational therapist.
When asked what his hobbies are, Greg Hamby laughed and said, “None.”
“I’ve worked all my life,” he said. “I used to hunt and fish but had to give that up when I went to work. Now I just enjoy spending time with my family … the grandkids … when I can.”
Hamby said his door at City Hall is always open to the public. He said the public is invited to City Council meetings as well, which take place at 5:30 p.m. the second Monday of each month at the Calico Rock City Hall, 101 W. First St. For more information, call (870) 297-3772.