--Tyler Dunegan

Tyler Dunegan's story is probably not unlike yours. Tyler was born and raised in Osceola, Arkansas, in the Arkansas Delta. He was jointly raised by his grandmother, age 70, and his paternal aunt. Tyler beat the odds and graduated from Osceola High School and then attended Arkansas Northeastern College and the University of Arkansas system where he earned two degrees. He is married to his high school sweetheart Carolyn, they have three children, and previously served as foster parents and were active in the National Foster Parent Association.  

Tyler never let his age interfere with his public service. In 2003, he was elected as one of the youngest political party chairmen in the United States. Having noticed Tyler’s community service spirit, Governor Mike Huckabee appointed him to serve on the 2nd Judicial District Jail Standards Committee, which began a lifelong friendship with Governor Huckabee. Tyler was elected Mississippi County Constable in 2006 and was the youngest to hold that office.  In 2011, he joined the Arkansas Secretary of State's office as an Outreach Coordinator where he continues to serve his state. Continuing his streak of youthful public service, Tyler was elected to the Osceola City Council in 2012 and became the youngest elected official in Osceola’s history.

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Tyler is a Certified Municipal Official through the Arkansas Municipal League and serves on the League's Executive Committee. Tyler has proudly served on the League’s Advisory Council for First Class Cities and on the National League of Cities Community and Economic Development federal advocacy committee and Small Cities Council, which plays a key role in shaping NLC’s policy positions and advocate on behalf of America’s cities and towns before Congress, the White House, and at home.

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Tyler’s community involvement also includes serving on the South Mississippi County Intermodal Authority, Osceola A&P Tax Commission, Mississippi River Parkway Commission, having been appointed by Governor Asa Hutchinson in 2017, the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship committee, which awards scholarships to low-income single parents in Mississippi County who are pursuing post-secondary education in preparation for skilled employment, the Mississippi County Baptist Association, Mississippi County Museum, and Rotary International, where Tyler has served as Club Secretary, Treasurer, three-time Club President, an Assistant Governor, and a Paul Harris Fellow. 

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Tyler has served on the Board of Directors of the Mississippi County Animal Shelter, Acts of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center, the Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce, South Mississippi County United Way, Osceola Planning Commission, and as Co-Chairman of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. He and his family are active members of First Baptist Church in Osceola, where he organizes the National Day of Prayer Luncheon each year.