Tippi McCullough
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Tippi McCullough | |
|---|---|
| Minority Leader of the Arkansas House of Representatives | |
| In office January 11, 2021 – January 13, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Fredrick Love |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Collins |
| Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 33rd district | |
| Assumed office January 14, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Warwick Sabin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1963 (age 62) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Barbara Mariani |
| Education | National Park College Ouachita Baptist University (BS) Henderson State University (MS) |
Tippi Lynn McCullough (born October 1963) is an American politician who is a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 33rd district in Pulaski County.
McCullough was raised by her mother in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where she graduated from Lake Hamilton High School in 1981. McCullough received her associate degree in physical education from Garland County Community College. She then completed her bachelor's degree at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, on a basketball scholarship as a first-generation college student. After graduating with a B.S.E. in physical education and English, McCullough received an M.S.E. in English from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.[1] She taught English and basketball at Kingston High School in Madison County, Arkansas, and later at Mountain Pine High School in Garland County, Arkansas. McCullough is the first woman to become president of the Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association.[1]
In January 2014, McCullough began teaching English at Little Rock Central High School after she was fired from her job of 14 years as a teacher at Mount St. Mary Academy in 2013 after marrying her partner Barbara Mariani.[2] Although her relationship with Mariani was well-known of at Mount St. Mary, the school stated that McCullough's marriage violated a morality clause in their contract.[1] This experience encouraged McCullough to become more involved with politics; in 2014, she became president of the Stonewall Democrats where she became more familiar with Arkansan Democratic politics.