McArthur has served on the boards of directors of north state organizations.

Faculty members at Chico State University have selected Redding native and City Councilwoman Missy McArthur to receive the school's Distinguished Alumni Award for her long record of accomplishments and community service.

The award is one of the school's highest honors, Chico State Paul Zingg said in a letter to McArthur.

"I was just floored," said McArthur, 62, who graduated from Chico State in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in English and completed a teaching credential a year later. A pair of faculty members told her she'd been chosen for the award at a recent lunch in Redding.

Chico State gives out eight distinguished alumni awards annually — one for each of the school's seven colleges and the eighth is a service award.

"We try to bring back the best and the brightest and it wasn't that hard to pick her," said Joel Zimbelman, dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, which oversees the English department at Chico State.

"She's a great local success story for Redding, obviously, and Chico as well," Zimbelman said.

McArthur went on from to Chico State to earn a master's degree from the University of San Francisco and a Physicians Assistant Credential from Stanford University.

McArthur was a physician's assistant for 25 years, including 12 years at Mercy Medical Center, before retiring. She's also taught for the Shasta Union High School District, was a family planning counselor and owned several businesses.

McArthur was elected to the council in 2008 and served as mayor in 2011. Her involvement in Redding goes back decades.

She's served on the boards of directors for organizations including the Shasta County Women's Refuge Auxiliary, the Shasta College Foundation, the Shasta Family YMCA and the Methamphetamine Task Force.

She also was a chair of New Library Now! The group was instrumental in securing funding for Redding Library, which opened in 2007.

McArthur also has been involved with the Shasta Library Foundation, Library Citizen's Advisory Committee, Library Review Committee, Chair of the Library Governance and Financing Task Force, Kids' Kingdom — Project Playground, Turtle Bay Board of Regents, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Help Line Inc., Plus One Mentors, Shasta-Tehama-Trinity Joint Community College District Board of Trustees, CSU Chico President's Advisory Board and Redding Rotary.

"Her community involvement record I think is pretty illustrious," said Zimbelman, who was on the team that selected McArthur for the award. "I think Redding should be very proud of her and I'm really pleased that we've got such outstanding people who graduate from this university who take up residence in the north state."

McArthur will receive the award during a campus visit in April. That visit will include a breakfast with Zingg, classroom visits, a panel discussion with other award recipients and an awards dinner, Zimbelman said.

McArthur said she's looking forward to the campus visit. Her son, 21-year-old Rob Milton, is a Chico State engineering student and a member of an honors society and on the dean's list.

"I'm real proud of him," she said.

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Redding City Councilwoman McArthur will get alumni award from Chico State