Senate Engrossed

Mel Hannah; death resolution

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

2023

SENATE RESOLUTION 1004

A Resolution

                       on the death of mel j. hannah.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Mel J. Hannah, former Flagstaff City Council and Coconino County Board of Supervisors member, passed away on January 8, 2023 at the age of 84.

Born in Winslow, Arizona, Mr. Hannah graduated from Winslow High School in 1956, where he received a music and football scholarship to Eastern Arizona College (EAC).  After two years at EAC, Mr. Hannah attended Northern Arizona University, called Arizona State College (ASC) at the time, for two years and played as a member of the ASC football team.

After college, Mr. Hannah settled in Flagstaff, Arizona and worked as a member of the United States Forest Service and as the assistant director of the Northern Arizona Council of Governments, where he was involved in delivering services to low-income communities, communities of color and rural communities.

In 1973, Mr. Hannah was elected as the first African American on the Flagstaff City Council, where he served for over twelve years.  After leaving the Flagstaff City Council, Mr. Hannah was elected as the first African American on the Coconino County Board of Supervisors and served for six years.

During his time in Flagstaff, Mr. Hannah served as the president of the Flagstaff Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and as vice chairman of the NAACP Arizona State Conference.  After moving to Phoenix, Mr. Hannah worked for Governor Fife Symington as the assistant director of the Equal Opportunity Office and later as the director of community outreach and job development for the Greater Phoenix Urban League, which supports minority families and underserved populations by providing connections to employment, housing, job training, health care and education.

Despite the demands of his career, Mr. Hannah served as a true servant leader and chaired many civic committees in order to make his community and state a better place in which to live and work.  He was proud of his involvement with establishing the Arizona African American Commission, eventually serving as a commissioner, and his service as chairman of the Arizona African American Legislative Days for 21 years.

Mr. Hannah believed "there are two important days in your life. One is the day you are born and the next one is why.  And so to me, civic engagement, civic engagement, civic engagement became the answer to that why in terms of improving the quality of life for everyone.  That to me has been the reason I recognize my second day."

Therefore

Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Arizona:

That the Members of the Senate express sincere regret at the passing of Mel J. Hannah and extend their deepest sympathies and condolences to his family and many friends.