02 Jan 2026 Five-Oh-Ones to Watch 2026: Mary Jo Heye-Townsell
By Rita Halter Thomas
For Mayor Mary Jo Heye-Townsell, serving as the CEO for the city of Sherwood is more than a profession. It’s a mission for positive change and making the world a better place.
“After the unexpected death of my son, my path forward became about impacting as many lives as possible for the better.” Heye-Townsell said. An already-successful swim coach, she stepped up to lead the Sherwood Sharks, a local swim team that her son loved. That led to accepting a volunteer position with the city’s Parks and Recreation committee, then 12 years on the City Council before being elected mayor.
Heye-Townsell is guided and inspired by Bible verse Luke 12:48: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” As mayor, she has been given and entrusted with great responsibility to serve the city and its people.
Among many accomplishments, Heye-Townsell is particularly proud of City Hall Park. The city transformed an existing facility into a community gathering place with pickleball courts, walking trails, bathrooms, inclusive playgrounds, exercise equipment, picnic areas, beautiful lighting and a fountain in the fishing pond. “The park is a 24-hour park that is a safe place any time,” she said. “We hold a lot of events there, including the free concert series and Winter Fest. I love to see how much this park is utilized by so many.”
Having a vision of what the city can be and making it happen is incredibly rewarding for Heye-Townsell. She delights in seeing the community enjoying the new playgrounds and pickleball courts, walking safely on new sidewalks, driving on a well-lit Brockington Road, or seeing huge crowds turn out for community events. “Knowing that I have been a part of making this community better and stronger, and that the children today will have great memories because of the new changes, is everything to me,” she said.
Being mayor is a 24/7 job. “My days are long but go by quickly. It is so nice having a spouse who truly understands the demands of this job,” she said. That he does. Her husband, Tab Townsell, is a former mayor and a source of great support, along with her four sons and a new daughter-in-law: Dr. Christopher and Dr. Taylor Heye, Dr. Thomas Heye, Ian Heye, and Nicholas Heye.
“My boys inspire me. They keep me focused on building a better future for Sherwood,” she said. “I also get inspired by seeing the joy in others,” she said, citing a moment when she was planting winter flowers outside the police station and heard singing. Two moms with their children were in the new sleigh, singing Christmas carols and pretending they were flying to the North Pole. “Moments like that not only inspire me but feed my soul.”
In 2026, along with a successful re-election, she hopes to see the Powerline bike/pedestrian trail built, repair the spillway in Lake Cherrywood so it can be stocked by Arkansas Game & Fish, revitalize Duran Park, begin a major improvement project for wastewater utility, continue public safety improvements, grow community events, and move into and operate the new public works, police and fire training facilities and more.
“Every time a project is completed, we are improving lives in different ways,” the mayor said. “I want to be known for working hard, being a visionary and moving Sherwood forward in a positive direction.”
