Mayor's Office

Mayor's Message

Hello Sherwood, 

It is truly an honor to serve as your mayor and lead Sherwood in a new direction.

I am very proud to have served on your city council for 12 years, and I am excited and energized to be your mayor. Since I became a Sherwood resident in 1995, our city's population has grown by an estimated 13,000 people, and our geographical footprint has increased by approximately 10 miles. New challenges have emerged with this growth. As Mayor, I will work diligently to address these growing pains and help our town be a place we are all proud to call home. 

By electing me Mayor, our people have demonstrated their commitment to building a better tomorrow for every resident that calls Sherwood home. One of my top priorities as your mayor is to improve our quality of place through beautification projects, park improvements, and recreational opportunities. I plan to implement innovative strategies coupled with practical ideas to solve problems and develop solutions to transform how Sherwood looks and how our residents live. Ultimately, I want Sherwood to become a place where all residents can live their best lives.

Finally, I pledge that my administration will set the highest standards for ethics. Through communication and transparency, we will always put the people of Sherwood first. We will build a bright future for our city on a foundation of trust. 

Sherwood, thank you for believing in me because I certainly believe in you! Let us work together to build a better Sherwood.

Sincerely, 

Mayor Mary Jo

About Mayor Mary Jo Heye-Townsell

Mayor Mary Jo Heye-Townsell is in her first year as Mayor of Sherwood having been elected in a four-person race and runoff in 2022. Mayor Heye-Townsell previously represented Sherwood's Ward 2 on the Sherwood City Council for 12 years. While on the city council, Mayor Heye-Townsell was awarded Certified City Official status by the Arkansas Municipal League, serving on the League's Advisory Council for Large First-Class Cities and the Public Safety Committee. While on the city council, she served on numerous city committees, including the Budget, the Street, and the Senior Citizens Committees. 

Mayor Heye-Townsell is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. She is also an honors graduate of the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. While at UAMS, she received several scholarships and awards including the Nightingale Award, selected by peers and instructors, and the Arkansas Students' Association's Courageous Heart Award. Before her election, Mayor Heye-Townsell worked as a school nurse at Little Rock Central High School and as an R.N. in the Perinatal Unit and UAMS.

Mayor Heye-Townsell was also a highly successful swim coach for the Little Rock Central High School swim team, the Arkansas Dolphins club team, and the Sherwood Sharks summer swim team. As the coach, Mayor Heye-Townsell's Little Rock Central men's team won three state 6A State Championships and garnered Runner-Up trophies every other year along with many women's Runner-Up trophies. She was awarded the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's All-Preps High School Swim Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2022. Under her leadership, the Sherwood Sharks became the largest summer swim program in the state. In 2012, she was awarded the Conoco Phillips Arkansas Swimming Volunteer of the Year.

Mayor Heye-Townsell previously served as a board member on the Sherwood Rotary Board, as well as the Sherwood Chamber of Commerce, and was the Sherwood Woman of the Year in 2010.

Mayor Heye-Townsell is the mother of five boys. All four living boys have been scholarship swimmers at the collegiate level and have earned or are pursuing post-graduate degrees. She is married to Tab Townsell, former Mayor of Conway and former Executive Director of Metroplan. They are members of Christ Episcopal Church.