BENTONVILLE -- Chris Sooter will seek a seventh term on the City Council.
Sooter resigned from his Ward 1 position in June after he and his family moved to a new home outside of that ward. He was appointed in July to fill the remainder of the term for Ward 2, Position 2 after Shane Perry resigned.
At A Glance
Name: Chris Sooter
Age: 38
Residency: Bentonville, 38 years
Family: Wife, Wendy; two sons
Employment: Executive vice president of finance at Member Services Inc.
Education: Bachelor of science in business administration with an accounting focus from University of Arkansas, 1998
Military Experience: None
Political Experience: Bentonville alderman since 2002
Source: Staff Report
Sooter has served on the council since 2002.
The 38-year-old Bentonville native also serves as the Advertising and Promotions Commission chairman, is past president of the Bentonville Public Schools Foundation board, Rotary Club president-elect, Circle of Life Hospice board member, past Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce board member and past president of the Northwest Arkansas YMCA board, according to a news release.
Sooter also has been involved in many committees during his tenure on the council. He serves on the Traffic, Safety and Signage Committee, Tree and Landscape Committee and the Community Development Block Grant Funding Committee.
"It has been my privilege to serve the citizens of Bentonville for the past 12 years during a time when unprecedented improvements have been made within our city. The citizens in Bentonville, in supporting the 2008 bond initiative, have made these improvements possible," Sooter said the release.
"Our city is once again on the cusp of a great period of growth and development. I remain committed to being a strong advocate for the citizens and strive each day to be very involved and in touch with what is happening in the community, working diligently to make Bentonville a community that my children can be proud of and enjoy living in."
Sooter is well-respected and well-known within the community, said Barry Moehring. He's knowledgeable about the city and knows its history, which is important, Moehring added.
"(Residents) look for him to be a leader on the council," he said.
Marinell Adair has known Sooter his whole life and watched him grow up, she said.
Sooter has encouraged growth and development and advocates for amenities that will improve the quality of life in the city, she said.
"I just think the world of him," she said. "He loves Bentonville and its people and tries to do the right thing all the time."
NW News on 07/30/2014