LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — City leaders in Little Rock are mourning the loss of one of their very own after City Manager Bruce T. Moore died on Saturday, October 14.
"Bruce Moore has provided incredible leadership for many, many years and we all get pretty emotional talking about it," said Susan Altrui, director of the Little Rock Zoo.
Bruce was the longest-serving city manager in the city's history since his appointment to the position in December 2002.
"He has touched the lives of so many individuals, whether it was a constituent that had a complaint, or whether it was doing something major, like leading the development of our downtown area," Altrui described.
She added that throughout his years of service, he was a man whose actions spoke louder than his words.
"People respected him because of the actions that he took to make this place better. But in addition to that, he was just a wonderful human being he was someone who was a friend, he was a mentor. He always ensured that we had a seat at the table to make sure that the best decisions were made for our city," Altrui explained.
Those who knew Bruce agreed that he had a selfless love— he always put others' needs before anything and was all about serving his community to make life better for Arkansans.
"He kept up with what the problems were in every neighborhood in this city. We have 199 neighborhoods. And I would bet you right now that if we had a contest that Bruce Moore would be the one person that could name every one of them for you and where they're located," said Joan Adcock, Little Rock City Director.
Adcock referred to Bruce as the pillar of the community, since being the Little Rock City Manager is no easy task.
"Bruce was the person that had to say no at times when it wasn't good to say no. But he put the people first. And he knew that that was what was going to count," said Adcock.
As City Manager, Bruce served as the Chief Administrative Officer as well as the lead City Staff person for the development of the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Center and Park in downtown Little Rock.
He was also a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Arkansas City Manager's Association (ACMA), the National Forum of Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) Board of Directors, Henderson State University Board of Trustees, Little Rock Regional Chamber Board of Directors, and Downtown Little Rock Partnership Executive Board.
Additionally, Bruce played a key role in the planning of the 40th, 50th, and 60th commemorations of the integration of Little Rock Central High School.
"Because Bruce Moore was always big on Little Rock. He was the person that made Little Rock what it is today. He's the person that we are, strive to be like, and we will miss him tremendously in this city," Adcock stated.
While it's been an emotional time as Arkansans mourn the loss of a beloved friend, family member, and co-worker, the legacy Bruce left behind lives on in Little Rock.
A celebration of life for him will be held at the Robinson Center on Saturday, October 21. The reception will begin at 10:00 a.m., and a memorial service will follow at 11:30 a.m.