Arkansas Sen. Jimmy Hickey Jr. received the Texarkana, Ark., School District's Distinguished Alumni Award on Thursday during a reception held in his honor at Arkansas High School.
Hickey, a 1985 graduate of Arkansas High, was elected to the District 11 Senate seat in 2012, and served two terms on the TASD Board of Trustees prior to the election. He is the 47th AHS graduate to receive the award, which has been given annually since 1985.
Former state Rep. Prissy Hickerson spoke of having worked with Hickey to get legislation passed to better, not only the state of Arkansas, but the Texarkana area in general. She said of all the bills he has sponsored, 76 percent have become law.
"That's a phenomenal percentage for a legislator, I can tell you," she said. "I know behind that gruff exterior Jimmy displays to the public lies a heart of gold. That exterior is because of the worrier and the warrior he is, and to people who don't know him well, that can sometimes make him seem a little scary."
Hickey has served on several senate committees, including transportation, state agencies and governmental affairs, legislative joint auditing and the Arkansas Lottery Commission Legislative Oversight Committee. He received the Distinguished Legislator Award in 2015 from the Arkansas Municipal League, and was also named Legislator of the Year by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He's been named a Man of Courage by CASA for Children, in addition to being recognized by the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility for his commitment to fight drunken driving and underage drinking.
Chris Thomason, the chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Hope, said Hickey is the hardest-working man in the state and lives a life of service.
"All of us together that are working for stronger public policy to move Southwest Arkansas and Texarkana forward, our jobs are that much more easy because of the work and the respect that Senator Hickey has there," he said.
Thomason went on to say that Hickey wasn't being honored because he is an Arkansas High graduate, but for what he has done with the education he received there.
"He has taken his education, the wholeheartedness of his education, and what he's done in turn is use that education to make the lives of students here today and students in the future so much better in so many ways," Thomason said, adding that the UA-Texarkana campus would not have the facilities it does without Hickey finding opportunities to help the school expand.
Rep. Carol Dalby also spoke of working with Hickey during the current legislative session. Hickey's high school football coach, Marve Register, spoke of his dedication on the field.
Hickey became emotional when accepting his aware, saying that he seriously thought about not doing so because he didn't feel worthy of it.
"It actually crossed my mind to turn this down somehow, I really did but I will accept it because the award truly, truly, truly is not about me," Hickey said. "It is about each one of you here tonight. Distinguished? I do not see that at all, but a division of each one of you individually, I am."
He went on to thank those who have helped him along his path to success.
"I promise you that everyone of you here has had some bearing and influence on my life, and I thank you all for that. I will humbly accept this award to honor that."
Hickey also encouraged support of the TASD administration's mission to prepare the next generation of leaders.
"What we all need to know is that we need to give them our utmost support," he said. "They are trying to manage a near-impossible situation with today's society, yet our entire city and our nation's future depends on them. If we're going to be successful, we're all going to have to do our part."