David Lyttle, Executive Director

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__ David Lyttle has served as Executive Director of The Arts Council of Mississippi County since December of 2005.  He was born in Memphis, TN, and as a child lived with his family in Jonesboro, AR, West Point, MS, Osceola, AR, and Sikeston, MO.  In his youth as a Boy Scout, David was active several years as a staff member for summer camp at Camp Cedar Valley and Pine Trail Reservation, served as Lodge Chief and Area Chief with The Order of the Arrow, served as an instructor for National Camping School, attended several national Order of the Arrow conferences, attained the rank of Eagle, and received Vigil Honor with the Order of the Arrow.      David earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, in 1969, and a Masters of Theology from Drew University, Madison, NJ, in 1976.  He has worked as a teacher, a travel counselor, in youth ministry, in retail management, in senior housing management and operations, in hotel management, and in general building operations.  His work experiences have taken him to New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, Louisiana, Florida, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, California, Kansas, Oregon, and Washington, and this background has provided him many skills that contribute to his success in operations and management of an arts program.

     In the arts, David has sung in choirs across the country and performed with several local community theater groups.  A recent high point in his singing career was to participate in a chorus of students and community members through Arkansas State University to travel to New York City and perform Mozart’s “Coronation Mass” at Carnegie Hall with a 200-voice choir and full orchestra.

     David is an active choir member and soloist at First United Methodist Church in Blytheville, performs in many fundraising programs in the area to support programs such as The Haven and The Arts Council, serves as an officer and board member of the Blytheville Kiwanis club, is an appointed commissioner for the Blytheville Museum Commission developing the “Delta Gateway Museum”, serves as a committee member for the Marketing and Tourism Committee of the Blytheville/Gosnell Area Chamber of Commerce, is a 2008 graduate of the Blytheville Leadership Institute, and serves as a volunteer and ex-officio board member for Main Street Blytheville.

Ken Jackson, Assistant Director

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_Originally from Chicago, IL, Ken Jackson moved to Keiser, AR in 1978.  After graduating from Rivercrest High School, Ken served in the United States Air Force until his separation from service in 1992.  He, with his wife Sarah and their children, have been Blytheville, AR residents ever since.

     Through schooling and life in the military, Ken has education and experience in journalism, inventory management, law enforcement and security, retail sales and hotel management, often being recognized with numerous awards and degrees.  Because of his love for music, Ken was awarded a lifetime membership into the Modern Music Master (Tri-M).

     In Illinois, Arkansas, Okinawa, Japan and wherever else the military took him, Ken always loved the theater and the arts.  He first became associated with The Arts Council of Mississippi County through the local community group, The Very Little Theater of Blytheville in 1992, now known as ACT 2!.  From 2004 – 2006, he served as the groups Treasurer and in 2007 was elected President and re-elected to that office which he still serves currently.  By his involvement with Community Theater, Ken was recently selected as a founding board member for the state’s new collation group Arkansas Community Theater Association (ARCTA).

     Ken first started as a board member for The Arts Council of Mississippi County in 2003 and in 2005, he was hired to serve as the Assistant Director. When asked by people how he likes his job, Ken has been heard to say, “What’s not to like? I mean, how many people out there can say that they actually LOVE their job?”

     Ken has been instrumental in all the aspects of The Arts Council, from hosting Support Live Music to performing in numerous fund-raising shows such as The Johnny Tolley Ole’ Time Variety Show and The Ritz Revue.  He and Executive Director David Lyttle, work closely together with the Board of Directors to bring quality and educational programming to the community.  Ken is a graduate of the Greater Blytheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Blytheville Leadership Institute’s Class of 2009 – 2010.  You can often hear him on the radio or see him on television talking about The Arts Council, ACT 2! or any of the other projects in the community he is involved in.

     Ken is always ready to volunteer in the community when needed. He has performed in the Dinner Theater that helped The Red Cross when their money was depleted during the ice storm, has sung on the radio to help raise money for St. Jude’s and has been known to flip a pancake or two at the “Breakfast with Santa” sponsored by the Light of the Delta.

     With the love to read, in 2007, Ken, his wife Sarah and their daughter Jennifer, opened “Arkham Comics and Used Books” at 306 W. Main Street in Blytheville. With 5 children and 5 grandchildren, Ken still enjoys playing the drums in his spare time.