Whereas, Arkansas State Supreme Court Justice Jim Hannah is retiring on September 1st for health concerns;

Whereas, it is the duty of Governor Asa Hutchinson to appoint a replacement to serve out the term;

Whereas the people of Arkansas deserve an appointee who has demonstrated regardless of political affiliation to be fair and put the state of Arkansas first;

Whereas the position of Chief Justice deserves an individual with more than legal knowledge, but leadership, and the ability to make decisions unaffected by partisan political concerns;

Therefore, we the undersigned, call on Governor Asa Hutchinson to appoint Sheffield Nelson as Chief Justice of the Arkansas State Supreme Court.

Sheffield Nelson was born in Keevil, Arkansas, in Monroe County, near Brinkley. He graduated from Brinkley High School in 1959, where he was president of the student body. Mr. Nelson graduated from Arkansas State Teacher’s College in 1963, where he was also president of the student body. Mr. Nelson went on to graduate from the Arkansas Law School in 1968 and the University of Arkansas School of Law at Little Rock in 1969.

Mr. Nelson began his career in 1963 as a management trainee with Arkla, Inc. Subsequently, he served as Sales Manager, Vice-President, President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure as President and Chairman, 1973-1984, he was named the Outstanding Gas Utility Chief Executive in America by the Wall Street Transcript. He was praised widely in National Gas Industry and Business Publications for holding down gas prices through a system he created known as “Replacement Cost Pricing,” which resulted in significantly smaller gas bills for residential customers. Mr. Nelson joined Jack, Lyon & Jones, P.A., now JACK NELSON JONES, P.A., in 1986.

A long-time advocate of economic development, Mr. Nelson was President of the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. He also served as Chairman of the Little Rock Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis from 1985 to 1986. Under Mr. Nelson’s leadership as Arkansas Industrial Development Commission’s Vice-Chairman and, later, Chairman, over 37,000 net new jobs were created for the people of the State of Arkansas during his tenure. Mr. Nelson served as Chairman of the Economic Expansion Study Commission in 1987, and as Vice Chairman of the Committee for Arkansas’ Future, working on the successful revenue bond amendment.

Mr. Nelson founded and was the first president of Junior Achievement in Arkansas, which takes businessmen into the classrooms of the state to introduce business principles and practices to Arkansas students. He also founded and raised the funds for Arkansas Service Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides college scholarships up to $2,500 a year for any Arkansas student who lost a parent in service to city, county, state or federal government. He has raised funds for numerous organizations, including United Way of Pulaski County, Arkansas Heart Association, Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, Advocates for Battered Women, Arkansas Opera Theatre, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the American Lung Association, Arkansas Chapter.

Mr. Nelson has given a part of himself back to the State of Arkansas through his community leadership, civic service and education support. As a result, he has received numerous awards and honors. He served as a member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights in 1982, and has been selected to Who’s Who in America each year since 1978 and Who’s Who in The World most years since 1982.

Mr. Nelson is an ardent hunter and fisherman. He was appointed as a member of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission by Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2000 and served as Chairman in 2006-2007. Mr. Nelson also previously served as a member of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Board of Directors, the non-profit, fund-raising auxiliary of the AGFC.

]Mr. Nelson is married to the former Mary Lynn McCastlain, also of Brinkley, who is a talented artist and the creator of many of the paintings found in the Little Rock office of Jack Nelson Jones, P.A. The Nelsons have two adult daughters who have blessed their lives with thirteen grandchildren.