City hires Presley

The City of Harrison has a new Human Resources Manager. Danny Presley began on Jan. 1.

Mayor Jerry Jackson said, Danny has 35 years of law enforcement and city government experience. With his strong passion for public service, he will be a great asset to the city's employees as our human resources manager.”

Presley began his career at the Gregg County Sheriff’s Department in Longview, Texas. After moving to Texarkana, he continued in law enforcement. He served for 24 years, eventually being promoted to Captain and serving as the Interim Chief of Police. He also served two years in the Office of the City Manager as Texarkana’s Government Liaison and Administrative Services Manager.

In 2014, Presley began his service with the City of Webster and served four years as Chief of Police before being appointed to Assistant City Manager in March 2018 and appointed to City Manager in November 2019, where he served until his retirement from Texas in 2021.

Presley was among 60 leaders selected from around the nation to take part in the 2017 class of the highly prestigious Presidential Leadership Scholars Program, an executive leadership program developed by President George W. Bush, President George H. W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, and the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library staff. This program took Presley to Washington D. C., Dallas, Little Rock, College Station, and Austin, where he studied civic leadership under the tutelage of the three Presidents, members of the Presidents’ Cabinets, and other executive staff.

“Nine years ago, my wife and I purchased a property in the Lead Hill area on Bull Shoals Lake. We loved coming up here, and it felt like coming home. Plus, my wife has family in Arkansas, too.”

When Presley retired from serving in Texas after 32 years, and in 2021, they relocated to North Arkansas. He managed the Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District for two and a half years. “That job was a good experience for me, and I saw it as getting closer to where we wanted to be.”

When the job of HR Manager became available with the City, Presley was excited to apply. “My first visit to City Hall for an interview was incredible. I loved meeting the managers and getting a feel for the culture of the building. The first two weeks have been fantastic,” he said.

Presley holds an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Kilgore College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Sciences from Texas A&M University, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas A&M University, and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Leadership from Sam Houston State University. Presley is a graduate and Class President of the 254th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He is a Certified Public Manager (CPM) and received the George C. Askew Award from the American Academy of Certified Public Managers. He is a Senior Certified Human Resources Professional (IPMA-SCP) and earned a Certificate in Public Finance from Texas Tech University’s Institute of Governmental Finance. In 2018, Presley graduated from the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute (OU-EDI), the nation’s premier economic development training program. He also completed a three-year program at the University of Central Arkansas Community Development Institute. In 2019, he earned the nationally recognized Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED) certification.

The Presleys have a total of four children. Three are grown. Two live in Nashville, and one is in Houston. Kara is a high school junior at Pea Ridge. They plan to build a home in the area when Kara graduates high school.

A few years ago, it was a difficult time for officers serving in law enforcement. He had the opportunity to spend time with President George W. Bush. They spoke about the difficulties of serving as a police officer, and Bush told him, “To whom much is given, much is required.”

Presley said, “That was a turning point for me career-wise. After thinking about what the President told me, I decided I wasn’t getting out of the public sector – because that’s where my heart is. I don’t want to chase money. Serving others is a calling. That’s why I like doing HR. I feel like I’m serving the mayor and the directors of the city in this role, as well as the citizens – by taking care of our workforce for the community.”