The Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce 96th Annual Celebration of Business & Community (Annual Celebration) on February 22, 2018 will establish a new award to be presented in the spirit of outstanding community service. The Barclay-Matthews Award for Distinctive Legislative Leadership is named in honor of Dick Barclay and David Matthews who served Rogers and Lowell in the Arkansas House of Representatives. This bipartisan award will be presented to a Northwest Arkansas legislator, or legislators, whose work in the immediate past regular or special session of the General Assembly has truly distinguished them from their peers.
Award Nomination
The nomination for an Arkansas state legislator to receive this award will originate and be approved by the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee. This is an exclusive award and will not be presented every year. This is an award of distinction presented for meritorious achievement by a legislator that will be presented at the Annual Celebration of the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce in the year immediately following a regular or special session of the Arkansas General Assembly.
Award Criteria
The recipient must meet the following criteria to receive the award:
1. Be a current member in good standing of the Arkansas State Senate or the Arkansas House of Representatives.
2. Received a score of at least 80 percent or higher on the Northwest Arkansas Regional Legislative Agenda scorecard for the most recent legislative session.
3. Be considered of true leadership and character by exhibiting a cumulative body of work that includes sponsoring major legislation, or by leading on an issue that advanced the quality of life, economic development, and the overall interests of the citizens and business community of Northwest Arkansas.
Bipartisan Spirit in the Presentation of the Award
The first award will be established and presented in 2018 at the Annual Celebration. It will be handed out following a bipartisan recognition ceremony honoring both David Matthews and Dick Barclay. In subsequent presentations of the award, the recipient(s) of the award will receive it from a previous honoree who is a member of the opposite political party, the Governor, the Speaker of the House, the Senate President Pro-Tempore, or from a legislative colleague of the opposite political party.
Legislative Appreciation Awards to be Presented at 96th Annual Celebration
Legislative appreciation awards will also be announced and presented to Northwest Arkansas legislators at the 96th Annual Celebration on February 22, 2018. These awards will be presented to legislators who received a score of 75 percent or higher on the Northwest Arkansas Regional Legislative Agenda scorecard for the most recent legislative session.