Judith Faust
The Jay I know is a good neighbor. He understands that a neighborhood is more than real-estate values and image, and that being a good neighbor is more than waving from the driveway and keeping your place tidy.
Professor Judith Faust believes Jay is not only a good neighbor but a true community builder.
Jay might be a good neighbor just because he’s a good guy—he is, after all—but I see more as I watch and work with him in our neighborhoods, the neighborhoods where he and I both live, which span a good chunk of downtown Little Rock, from the Governor’s Mansion district to the River Market, from MacArthur Park to South Main and Pettaway Park. What I see is a committed community builder. He doesn’t just preach community engagement, he’s there, working to support and sustain the economic and cultural diversity that have made our historic neighborhoods such rich places to live.
Jay and I serve, together with thirteen other hard-working and giving neighbors, on the board of the Downtown Little Rock Community Development Corporation, developing housing for low- and moderate-income people. It’s challenging and important work, and Jay does it because he believes it’s right, and because he believes it works to strengthen the social fabric in a neighborhood that has seen hard times.
I had a mentor who taught me good leaders must be pragmatic visionaries. I believe Jay is one. I count on him, as a fellow community volunteer, to do his homework, to listen well and carefully, to share thoughtful comments as we plan and make decisions, to help us stay grounded in our mission and see the way clear, and to be there for the follow-through. If you ask me, those are just the qualities we need in a state senator. That’s why I’m supporting Jay Barth’s bid for a seat in the General Assembly.
Judith Faust
Professor of Social Work
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
