By the Arkansas Black Vitality Staff

June 29, 2025 – Mayor Frank Scott Jr. recently appointed longtime City of Little Rock Fire Chief Delphone Habbard as the new city manager for Arkansas’ largest city after former candidate Dakisha Wesley was abruptly pulled from consideration.

During a June 17 board meeting, the Little Rock Board of Directors voted 7-1 to confirm Hubbard as Little Rock’s top administrative official after Wesley’s name was pulled from consideration during an executive session. Wesley, an assistant county manager from North Carolina, was initially Mayor Scott’s preferred candidate but failed to gain full board support after individual meetings with each director earlier this year during a visit to the city.

Hired as Little Rock fire chief in January 2018, Hubbard served as acting city manager for three months after Mayor Scott appointed him to the interim post on April 17. A Memphis native, he was a fire department operations chief and battalion chief in that city before serving as Little Rock’s top fire official for the past seven years. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration and has over three decades of public service experience.

“Delphone Hubbard is a battle-tested, exceptional servant leader whose extensive background in public safety and administration make him the right person to help me lead the City of Little Rock,” Mayor Scott said. “He brings an unmatched level of integrity and professionalism that will benefit our City Hall team, the Board of Directors, and most importantly, the residents of Little Rock.”

Hubbard is Little Rock’s 12th city manager. He succeeds Bruce T. Moore, who served as city manager for nearly 20 years before his passing in October 2023. Arch Street from Fourth Street north past City Hall was renamed Bruce T. Moore Way to honor Moore’s historic and impactful service to Little Rock.

“I am humbled to follow in the footsteps and legacy of my friend and colleague, Bruce T. Moore, and I am excited about this new opportunity to continue serving the people of Little Rock,” Hubbard said. “I appreciate the confidence Mayor Scott and the Board have shown in me, and I am glad to accept this new role.”

As Little Rock fire chief, Hubbard prioritized public safety and demonstrated his leadership skills through major events like the pandemic, historic flooding, the March 31, 2023, tornado, this year’s wildfires, two fatal plane crashes and the line-of-duty death of a firefighter.

Throughout his career, Chief Hubbard has been a hands-on administrator who leads from the front lines with strong support from his staff and colleagues,” Mayor Scott said. Under Little Rock’s form of government approved by voters in 2007, the mayor is the city’s chief executive and must be approved by a majority of the 10-member Little Rock Board of Directors. Currently, Little Rock employs over 2,500 employees across 14 departments.