CONGRATULATIONS TO PRISSY HICKERSON!
LT Class of 1983
Named 2017 Idalee Hawkins LEADER OF THE YEAR by Leadership Texarkana
Prissy is the epitome of a leader who has served our community locally, regionally and statewide, looking out for our community well-being during decades of outstanding service as a volunteer and in elected and appointed offices of the state of Arkansas.
THANK YOU PRISSY FOR YOUR YEARS OF LEADERSHIP on our behalf!
Mary P. “Prissy” Hickerson was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in November, 2010 and completed her third term in January of 2017. She represented District One, which is primarily the city of Texarkana, Arkansas. During her legislative terms she served as Chairman of the House Transportation Committee and as an appointed member of Governor Hutchinson’s Task Force on Highway Funding. She also served on the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee and was House chair of the Counties and Municipalities Audit subcommittee. She served on the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee, the Joint Performance Review Committee, Rules Committee and Aging, Children and Military Affairs Committee.
Prissy was appointed to the Arkansas State Highway Commission by Governor Huckabee in 1997 and completed her term in 2007, serving as Commission Chairman from 2005-2007. She served on Governor Huckabee’s Citizen’s Council on Highways, a committee whose work ultimately led to the voter approved 1999 Interstate Rehabilitation Program. This program, one of the largest in Arkansas’ history, allowed the department to issue bonds to rehabilitate 60% of Arkansas’ Interstate miles. Her work on the Commission helped secure project funding of over a billion dollars in South Arkansas. Included in this amount is over 300 million dollars in Miller County, the majority of which was used to complete over 35 miles of the I-49 corridor in Miller County.
Prissy also worked alongside Parks and Tourism Commission member Debbie Haak of Texarkana and First Lady Janet Huckabee to approve the location, design and construction of six new Arkansas Welcome Centers around the state. The first of these centers was constructed on I-30 in Texarkana and opened in December 2004. Prissy also served as Chairman of the Southeastern Association of Highway Officials Commissions and Boards Committee from 2005-2007 and was a member of the I-49 Coalition during her time as a Highway Commissioner.
A native of Texarkana, Prissy was the business manager for her husband’s dental practice from 1977 until his retirement in 2013 and is business manager of a real estate partnership. She currently serves on the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana Board of Visitors and the Arkansas Good Roads Council.
Prissy is a 1983 graduate of Leadership Texarkana. She is a past president and sustaining member of the Junior League of Texarkana, She has been active in her community through the years, volunteering and serving on the boards of many organizations including CHRISTUS St Michael Health Systems, Texarkana Resources Center, Temple Memorial Treatment Center, Leadership Texarkana Advisory Board, Komen Texarkana Race for the Cure, Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council, Women for the Arts, Texarkana Volunteer Center and the Texarkana Animal League.
Prissy is married to Randy Hickerson, a local dentist, and they have one son Chris and four granddaughters.