Change of command ceremony; 20/20 meeting lead week

By The Commercial Staff

The Pine Bluff Arsenal holds a change of command ceremony and the Pine Bluff 20/20 Visioning and strategic planning process continues this week.

During a ceremony, Col. Brian S. Lindamood will relinquish command of the only active Army installation in Arkansas, the Pine Bluff Arsenal, to Col. William M. Barnett IV. Barnett will become the Arsenal’s 33rd commander.

The ceremony will take place on the arsenal in front of the headquarters’ building (10-020) at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Lindamood, a native of Fort Bragg, N.C., has been in command of the arsenal since July 8, 2005. His next assignment will be at the U.S. Army Materiel Command at Fort Belvoir, Va.

Barnett was previously, assigned to the U.S. Army National War College at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. Barnett, a native of San Diego, Calif., entered the Army in 1986 after graduating from the University of Kentucky. He holds a bachelor of science degree in microbiology and master’s degree from Command and General Staff College.

Dale Ormond, acting director of the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., and Brig. Gen. James E. Rogers, commander of the Joint Munitions Command at Rock Island, Ill., will officiate the ceremony.

A reception for the Barnetts will follow the ceremony at the arsenal’s community club.

This week also begins meetings for the Pine Bluff 20/20 Visioning and strategic planning process. More than 700 participants shared their visions for Pine Bluff in May and June during town hall meetings. The visions have now been organized into the six themes and goal teams are being created, according to Judi Norton, co-chair of the Pine Bluff 20/20 Coordinating Committee.

The following goal teams will meet:

  • Beautification/Infrastructure — 6 to 8 p.m., today at Southern Good Faith Fund, 2304 W. 29th Ave.

  • Public Safety — 6 to 8 p.m., today in the Simmons Room of Simmons First National Bank at Fifth Avenue and Main Street.

  • Recreation — 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the John Fallis Waterfront Facility in Regional Park.

  • Education/Workforce Development — 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the seminar room of McGeorge Hall at Southeast Arkansas College.

  • Economic Development — 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Southern Good Faith Fund.

    Also this week:

  • Governor Mike Beebe will hold a news conference to launch a statewide initiative regarding affordable health care for small businesses in Arkansas. The event will be held today at 2 p.m. at the Quest Corp, 2912 W. Second Ave., Pine Bluff.

  • The Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition Inc. monthly meeting will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Dumas Community Center at Dumas. The program will be a roundtable discussion about the Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition Inc. policies, better ways to serve the Cornerstone region, and an introduction of a proposed pilot program. Everyone is invited to participate in this discussion. Details: Call Jo Anne Smith at (870) 460-1224.

  • The Pine Bluff Civil Service Commission is scheduled to hold its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the city council chambers of city hall.

  • The Watson Chapel School Board will meet at 7 p.m. today at the administration office.

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