My name is William Fells III. I am excited to officially announce my candidacy for the Pine Bluff City Council Ward 3 position. Born and raised in Pine Bluff, I am proud to call this community my home. I am a graduate of Ridgway Christian High School and the American University in Washington D.C., where I majored in political science.

To me, public service is a way to bring people together and build opportunities for individuals to thrive in their potential. My first experiences in public service involved working as a page in the U.S. Senate and interning in the U.S. Department of Justice under the Obama Administration. After graduating college, I was honored to join the office of Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley M. Washington in 2019 as Special Projects Coordinator where I served until 2023.

Serving in the mayor’s office was an incredible opportunity to coordinate projects to improve the city that I love. It was an honor to organize community cleanups, work with volunteers to coordinate the local 2020 Census initiative, and coordinate the Second Chance Program - a partnership between the City of Pine Bluff, Southeast Arkansas College, Sixth Division Juvenile Court, and Torii and Katrina Hunter, aimed at offering educational and workforce opportunities to youth in the juvenile justice system. It was also an honor to coordinate the renovations of the Detective Kevin D. Collins Center and collaborate with colleagues in securing a partnership between the City and the Jefferson County Boys and Girls Club, granting the Club an opportunity to offer youth programs at the Pine Bluff Community Center.

Additionally, I was proud to serve as Project Director for the Advancing Health Literacy Program (AHLP), a two-year federal grant initiative that coordinated vaccine clinics, provided free health screenings, distributed free PPE to residents, and offered learning sessions on a range of health topics. Thanks to an incredible team, AHLP was able to reach more than 4,700 residents with health and educational services.

I love working for this community, and that’s why I am running. Although there are challenges, this is a moment of opportunity for Pine Bluff. There are exciting developments happening and the potential for even greater progress. We need a city council that will collaborate to seize this moment and build the community that residents want to see.

In this mission, I want to work with you in Ward 3 to clean up neighborhoods, promote programs that improve safety, upgrade infrastructure, and create an environment that sustains local businesses while also attracting new ones.

I hope to have your support in this endeavor, and I look forward to listening to your concerns, sharing ideas, and working together in this collective mission for a better ward and city.