Bella Vista City Guide

Beginning in 1917 as a summer resort destination, then a retirement community in the 1960s, and finally becoming an incorporated city in 2007 by a vote of its property owners, Bella Vista has been evolving and redesigning itself for more than a century. And this past fall, citizens elected John D. Flynn as Bella Vista's third mayor. Flynn has an extraordinarily impressive list of accomplishments that have prepared him well for leading the city. Bella Vista's previous mayor, Peter Christie, endorsed Flynn in the run-off election and referred to him as a great fit, saying that Flynn's background and experience would "make everything move much smoother." Like many residents of Bella Vista, Mayor Flynn is not a native. He hails from a steel mill town outside of Cleveland, Ohio. "My summer job was working at the U.S. Steel plant," he said. "At the time I was getting my Bachelor of Science in Economics from John Carroll University, a private Jesuit university in University Heights, Ohio." Aer getting his undergraduate degree, Flynn went on to Case University in Cleveland to earn an MBA in Banking and Finance and his law degree. He excelled as a corporate attorney for the next 37 years serving as general counsel for three different corporations and on the legal staff of two different Fortune 500 corporations. His position as General Counsel for Daisy Manufacturing Company in Rogers, Arkansas, is what brought Flynn and his wife Linda to the Natural State. For the past 23 years, Flynn has been a member of the Arkansas Bar Association. It is the third state in which he has been admitted to the bar, including Ohio and Michigan. In July of 2011, he became an adjunct professor at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, teaching finance and business law. "My wife Linda and I decided that Bella Vista was the place we wanted to live in Northwest Arkansas," Flynn said. "We love being active. And here there are so many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors with the golf courses, lakes and hiking and biking trails." Flynn has been a member of both the Bella Vista Fly Tyers and Men's Golf League for eight years and the Bella Vista Tennis Association for 16 years. When he moved to Bella Vista, Flynn wasted no time getting into the business of government. "I have been a Bella Vista city council member eight years," he said. "And for six of those years, I was elected by the other councilmembers to be Mayor Pro Tempore." Some of his other duties on the council have included serving as Commissioner and Secretary of Bella Vista Advertising & Promotion Commission ("Discover Bella Vista") and Chairman of Streets Committee. In addition to his work on the City Council, Flynn has served as Docent and Board of Directors member of the Bella Vista Historical Museum, Vice President and Board of Directors member for the Bella Vista Foundation and been a member of the Bella Vista Rotary Club for eight years. "is mayoral election has exemplified what makes Bella Vista the wonderful place that we love to call home," Flynn said on his Facebook page the day aer the election. "It showed a civic commitment from its residents by having a large turnout not only in the November general election, but also a relatively large turn out to vote in a runoff not just for their next Mayor, but three city council races. e sheer number of candidates who put their names on the ballot this year shows the commitment the people of Bella Vista have to be involved in the process to ensure a bright future for Bella Vista. We have a special city, and our residents know it." Bella Vista Mayor-elect John D. Flynn tries out the chair in the office of outgoing Mayor Peter Christie during a recent visit to City Hall. Bennett Horne/The Weekly Vista Mayor Flynn brings a background rich in experience and service | By Randy Rice, Special to Bella Vista City Guide Photo courtesy of Bennett Horne, The Weekly Vista 10 | 2023 Bella Vista City Guide

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