- janniemcotton
Pulaski County Retired CEO Jannie Cotton Officially Files to Run for Arkansas State Representative
Updated: Feb 4, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENov. 4, 2019
Contact: Jannie Cotton(501) 658-7401, janniemcotton@yahoo.com
Little Rock, AR – Jannie Cotton, a retired CEO of Professional Counseling Associates (PCA) from Sherwood, Arkansas, officially filed to run for State Representative of District 41, covering parts of Sherwood, Jacksonville, and North Little Rock. On Monday, Cotton filed to run for office with the Arkansas Secretary of State at the State Capitol Building in Little Rock.
Cotton, the first African American woman in the state of Arkansas to serve as Chief Executive Officer of a community mental health organization, is a well-known mental health policy leader and advocate. She has fought to break the stigma associated with mental illness, served on several Healthcare Reform and Legislative Committees and the Task Force for Juvenile Justice Reform for over 40 years. Her career in Children and Family Services also spans 40 years with an early start as a teacher. Cotton is a divorced mother of three daughters, grandmother of five grandsons and four great-grandsons.
"Putting communities first is a lifetime commitment. I have spent my entire life representing and serving others through leadership, mentoring, and advocacy. I am so excited and honored to officially be on the ballot to run for State Representative of District 41 and am very grateful to my family, friends, and community for helping to make this moment possible. I am steadfast, dedicated, and emphatic about ensuring that elected officials in Little Rock hear the voice of constituents living in parts of Sherwood, Jacksonville, and North Little Rock. Our actions do speak louder than words. It's time we put people before policy."
Cotton supports mental health & juvenile justice reform, equal access & affordability for education, and immediate access to Medicare & mental health for seniors and veterans. Cotton’s platform, putting communities first, speaks volumes to her passion and experience of putting the needs of her community at the forefront. She has spent the last 20 years fighting for legislation and policy changes with regards to Medicare and parity for mental health funding.
Cotton is a licensed professional counselor. She served as CEO of Professional Counseling Associates (PCA) for the last 13 years. Before her tenure as CEO, Cotton was the clinical director at PCA from January 1999 to September 2005. She was the assistant director of the Division of Children and Family Services from May 1996 to June 1998. Cotton received her bachelor’s degree in Child Development from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Her master’s degree in counseling is from the University of Central Arkansas.
Cotton was on the executive board of the Mental Health Council of Arkansas from 2005 to 2014, where she served as a past president and secretary. She served on the Healthcare Reform and Legislative Committee for Children & Adult Services from 2005 to 2014. Since 1972, Cotton has been a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She serves as co-chair on the board of directors for the Delta Presents Outreach Foundation. Cotton has received numerous awards. The 2013 Senator Erma Hunter Brown Leadership Award and the 2010 Women of Excellence Award, to name a few. She is currently an active member of the New Zion Grove Worship Center. She was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Read more of about Cotton’s background and platform at www.janniemcotton.com
