Harden To Lead Arkansas Waterways Commission

The Arkansas Waterways Commission has named Phyllis Harden of Redfield, Ark., as its new chair, Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston announced. Harden will replace Marty Shell.

Harden, who was the first woman appointed to the commission, is also the first woman to chair it. She works for Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Company, a fourth-generation family-owned business focused on marine construction, material production and sales in the Midsouth.

Harden is primarily responsible for legislative and special projects, and she is frequently in Washington, D.C. to lobby for Corps of Engineers waterway projects and funding. She is on the board of directors and is also a past president of the Mississippi Valley Associated General Contractors, the largest geographical branch of the Associated General Contractors of America, which represents contractors on the river system from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico.

Harden also sits on the board of directors of the Dredging Contractors of America in Washington, D.C., and she is on the executive committee and board of directors of the National Waterways Conference.

Locally, she is vice chair of the Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Port Authority Board.

“Phyllis has always been a tremendous asset for our state, with decades of experience in the industry,” Preston said. “I could not be more pleased that the commission has recognized her contributions and put their trust in her to lead their efforts in promoting and protecting our navigable waterways. I look forward to working with her as she leads the Arkansas Waterways Commission.”