Armed with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Education from the University of Kansas, Diane Martin Bryant spent the first three decades of her career as an educator and school librarian. Noting that reading to children and helping them get interested in reading was always an incredibly gratifying experience, she fondly recalls the time that she organized a month-long event in the school library to build a covered wagon. Throughout her early career, she had also considered running for political office on multiple occasions and ultimately entered politics by running for the House of Representatives. While Ms. Bryant didn’t win the position, the experience opened a door for her that has since led to an exceptional career in local politics.
Since 2014, Ms. Bryant has excelled as a council member on the Farmington, Arkansas, City Council. Choosing to run for city council because she wanted to be involved in supporting her community, she has spent time as the chair of the community development committee and, in 2022, developed the “Let’s Move, Farmington!” program. Today, her duties encompass bringing reports to the courthouse, attending conferences, campaigning, working with volunteers, and participating in the Arkansas Municipal League. Ms. Bryant also contributes her skills to the Friends of the Farmington Libraries, the Farmington Chamber of Commerce and the Farmington United Methodist Church.
Attributing much of her success to determination, hard work and adaptability, Ms. Bryant considers being recognized as Top Volunteer of the Year by the city of Farmington in 2016 to be the highlight of her career. Other notable achievements include being named Volunteer Chair of the Year and being selected as a justice of the peace by the governor of Arkansas. Most recently, she was featured in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in 2022. Beyond these accolades, Ms. Bryant remains incredibly proud of her 1977 master’s thesis, which examined the attitudes of teachers toward women administrators.
As she looks toward the future, Ms. Bryant hopes to continue serving the city of Farmington. Her current goals are the development of a dog park, bringing new industry to the city and creating the infrastructure necessary to prevent flooding. She also has plans to run for the position of mayor, and if she wins, her first order of business would be to have streetlights installed along the main street. Outside of her professional endeavors, Ms. Bryant would also like to spend more time with her family, which includes her daughter and grandson.