Cotledge plans to seek seat on City Council

Quranner “Q” Cotledge has announced his candidacy for the Third Ward seat in the Pine Bluff City Council.

Cotledge has lived in the Third Ward for 38 years. He retired from the Department of Human Services after 33 years. He then worked for the Arkansas Department of Health in Jefferson County, where he was administrator.

He has been fully retired for seven years, according to a news release.

At the Department of Human Services, he was county director of the Jefferson County office, program manager of Arkansas’ Food Stamp (SNAP) Program, area manager for 14 human services offices, and assistant director for the Division of Children and Family Services.

“Working alongside other volunteers, I have also brought about positive change for the city of Pine Bluff, Ark. My family and I feel the time has come to seek elected office. A strong business sense, fresh collaborative ideas, and positive solutions are the intangibles that I would like to bring to the Pine Bluff City Council by running for the Third Ward seat,” he said.

Cotledge is a 1970 graduate of Arkansas AM&N College (now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff). He completed additional studies at the University of Oklahoma and Tulane University. Cotledge is a certified public manager.

His volunteer service includes being co-chair of the Jefferson County Growing Healthy Community Coalition and a Dollarway School District Wellness Committee member. He was the first president of the Omegas of Pine Bluff, a nonprofit organization of the Tau Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. He has been recognized for 50 years of service to the fraternity. He is also a member of the NAACP.

His experience has allowed him opportunities to work collaboratively with other areas of government and the business community, he said.

“Despite what is sometimes portrayed, there are workable solutions to our city’s documented problems. For example, the Third Ward has great people who want representation that reflects working together is better. If the Third Ward is better, the city of Pine Bluff is better and vice versa,” he said.

“If you elect me, you will always be proud of my professionalism and my open-mind leadership style. To be successful, I am organizing a strong grassroots effort. I have begun speaking with residents to develop a diverse perspective of their hopes for our ward,” he said.

A native of Clark County, Cotledge is a chartered board member and current president of the Buffaloes’ Foundation. The foundation provides scholarships to Clark County high school graduates and students seeking advanced college degrees.

Cotledge is the president of the Windsor Place Homeowners Association in Pine Bluff. He was ordained as a deacon at New Jerusalem Baptist Church in 1998 and in 2013 at Damascus Missionary Baptist Church.

He is married to Beverly and is the father of two grown children, Sonya Anderson and Johnathan Haggans. He is also a grandfather and great-grandfather.

“Working alongside other volunteers, I have also brought about positive change for the city of Pine Bluff, Ark. My family and I feel the time has come to seek elected office.” — Quranner “Q” Cotledge