City Honors Longtime Community Leader, Volunteer with Dedication of Sue Phillips Community Lounge at East Library and Recreation Center
By Susan Schrock, Office of Communication
Posted on September 03, 2021, September 03, 2021

The City of Arlington honored long-time community leader and volunteer Sue Phillips on Thursday by dedicating the community lounge at the new East Library and Recreation Center in her name.

Phillips, who has served as the president of East Arlington Renewal for nearly 30 years, is the first of 11 trailblazers, civic leaders and faith leaders tapped by the City’s Honorary Naming Recognition Task Force to be recognized for their service or their contributions to the city. Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, former Mayor Jeff Williams, and City Councilwoman Dr. Victoria Farrar-Myers, who served as chair of the Honorary Naming Recognition Task Force, were among the many who attended the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the work of Sue Phillips and her husband Jimmy.

Affectionately known as “the Mayor of East Arlington,” Sue Phillips has served as president of the citizens group East Arlington Renewal since 1992. “In that role, she has passionately worked alongside the City of Arlington, the Arlington Independent School District and other community stakeholders to ensure a safe, vibrant and beautiful community for all,” Ross said.

The East Library and Recreation Center, which opened last November at 1817 New York Ave., provides a variety of programs, amenities and resources for residents of all ages, was just one of the many ways Phillips has spent the past three decades working alongside others to elevate East Arlington.
The legacy of Phillips’ love of her neighborhood and her neighbors is something that should inspire generations to come, Williams said.

“There are going to many young people who are going to be inspired when they see Sue Phillips name on this room,” Williams said. “They are going to ask the question, ‘Who was she? What did she do?’ They are going to go, ‘I want to be the next Sue Philips. I want to help East Arlington. I want to help my community and bring people together in a very positive way to make a difference.’”

Phillips, who was among advocates for preserving Johnson Creek in the 1990s, served 14 years on the City’s Parks & Recreation Board, including two years as chair. As Arlington Sculpture Garden Foundation Board president, Phillips also helped bring new public art to Meadowbrook Park in East Arlington.

Her many accomplishments include the 2013 Individual Outstanding Service Award from the Texas Recreation & Park Society, Star-Telegram’s Woman of the Year 1999-2000 and 2018 Arlington Police Department Volunteer of the Year.

“You always know where Sue stands. She has a true heart and passion for Arlington, specifically east. That resonates through everything that she does, everything that she supports, and she ensures that the voice of east Arlington is heard in decisions at the city,” said Deputy City Manager Lemuel Randolph.

Walking in purpose, helping people connect the dots and using her talents to assist others in need are just a few of the keys to her success in elevating East Arlington, said Phillips, who has lived in her neighborhood since 1975.

“Arlington, Texas has four corners. One of them is called the East,” Phillips said. “And don’t you be looking down your nose at us. This is where we live. We are wonderful.”

 
Champion Great Neighborhoods, East Library and Recreation Center, City Council District 5
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