Director

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Wiley named next director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation

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Jared Wiley

The Arkansas Highway Commission has named Jared Wiley as director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT). Wiley follows Director Lorie Tudor who announced Dec. 3 she will retire effective Jan. 10, 2025.

Wiley will become the department’s sixth person to serve in the director’s role in the past 52 years. His starting salary will be $225,992, according to ARDOT.

“The Department is very fortunate to have a deep pool of highly qualified talent to choose from in selecting the next Director. We know that Jared will do an excellent job leading ARDOT and the entire team. The Commission looks forward to working with him in this new role,” noted a statement from Commission Chairman Alec Farmer.

Wiley named next director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation

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AGFC director announces resignation

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BY Randy Zellers

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Director Austin Booth tendered his resignation during today’s monthly commission meeting at the Ozark Folk Center Visitor Center auditorium. Booth’s resignation becomes effective Jan. 4, 2025. He’s been the AGFC director since 2021.

Booth explained that the commitments of his family and faith had to be balanced with the duties of his position at the AGFC over the last three and a half years, and he wished to be able to devote more time to his family and allow someone else to take the reigns of the agency with the intensity needed to continue moving forward in the pursuit of conservation.

“I want to thank my wife and my kids and my mom and dad and my in-laws … for keeping me grounded, for pointing me to Jesus, for their encouragement and for making sacrifices so I can be effective,” Booth said. “It has been an incredible three and a half years and I have no people to thank more than my family.”

Booth said he will be transitioning to the private sector after 13 years of commitment to his country and state.

AGFC Commission Chairman J.D. Neeley thanked Booth for his service and dedication to the men and women who enjoy and depend upon Arkansas’s natural resources.

“On behalf of the other commissioners and the staff of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, I want to thank Austin Booth, our director, for the last three and a half years of tireless dedication to the Commission and the people of the great state of Arkansas,” Neeley offered in a statement following the announcement. “There’s a saying, ‘Iron sharpens iron.’ His leadership has taken a tremendously skilled group of staff and strengthened our ability to put habitat and people first. His motto, ‘See you in the field,’ meant he had his sleeves rolled up and wanted to lead by example — a true servant leader.”

Neeley said Booth’s hiring in 2021 was one of the best decisions the Commission had made in his seven-year term as a commissioner. His role in the development of the agency’s five-year strategic plan, “The Natural State Tomorrow,” has left not only a footprint of success to build upon, but a blueprint to address the future of conservation in Arkansas.

“Booth’s plans and leadership will impact all hunters, anglers and conservationists; those present now and those yet to be born,” Neeley said. “While we are deeply saddened by his departure, we wish him and his family all the best and success in their future endeavors.”

In the last three years, Booth’s leadership has driven the AGFC to a level of performance and accountability never before seen in such a short period of time. The Natural State Tomorrow was only one of many milestones highlighting his time at the Commission. “People first, habitat always,” was a mantra often spoken during Booth’s presentations. He not only spoke these words, but lived them. In his first year at the AGFC, Booth took the challenge of restoring the AGFC’s famous greentree reservoirs head on, reinvigorating the efforts staff had placed in ensuring these valuable habitats continued to produce hunting memories for generations to come. He spoke to crowds at events promoting the AGFC’s actions, not preaching from a pulpit, but standing among the men and women he served.

“Would you rather stand here years from now and tell your grandchildren how great the duck hunting used to be, or have your grandchildren come to you and tell you how great the duck hunting is for them,” Booth would ask.

Tackling legacy issues was a common theme in Booth’s tenure as AGFC director.

The continued decline of aquatic habitat and infrastructure on Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir was looming during the last decade. Never one to shrink from a challenge, Booth stepped up to the plate and convinced the Commission that a full-scale renovation was needed. Not only will the 76-year-old infrastructure be completely revamped to better accommodate water levels without manually lifted gates, but the entire lake is seeing a renewal. Nearly 30 miles of boat lanes will be upgraded to increase navigation safety, massive habitat projects will be completed to increase spawning, and brood-rearing habitat for fish and vegetation will grow along the lakebed to create a “new lake” effect, boosting productivity for the forage and game fish that will be stocked upon the lake’s return.

Stocking of fish saw a major turning point thanks to Booth’s vision as well. Thanks to his pursuits, Titan MAXX bass were stocked for the first time anywhere in a public reservoir. These thoroughbred Florida bass were chosen to be part of the building blocks of the newly restored Lake Monticello, another AGFC achievement that reached fruition during Booth’s time. A partnership with Red Hills Fishery of Georgia will ensure this same quality trophy bass will continue to be used in AGFC bass management and will be some of the first game fish to be placed into Lake Conway upon its completion as well.

The agency also saw a huge expansion in the state’s bear season, opening most of southwest and south-central Arkansas to bear harvest for the first time in modern history. He also tasked the agency’s Wildlife Management Division with a groundbreaking telemetry research project and developed a funding model for the technology needed to support this research through donations by Blood Origins to provide GPS collars to track and monitor bears in the newly opened zones during the inaugural season.

The entire structure of the AGFC saw many improvements during the last three years as well. Booth’s vision to elevate habitat enhancement on private land throughout the state as well as his commitment to grow recreational shooting in Arkansas prompted the development of two new divisions focused on these goals.

The Private Lands Habitat Division has hit the ground running, increasing habitat quality on private land throughout the state and championing many of the AGFC’s successful new initiatives. In the last five years, the agency’s Waterfowl Rice Incentive Enhancement Program has ballooned from 10 hunting locations to more than 65 spread across the state. Booth also pursued a special set-aside fund from the Arkansas General Assembly in 2023 which created the AGFC’s Conservation Incentive Program to deliver $3.5 million to private landowners for habitat work on their property.

“Private landowners hold nearly 90 percent of the land in Arkansas,” Booth said. “If we do an absolutely perfect job on all the land we manage at the AGFC, we’re still only improving 10 percent of what is possible. This program and division are here to change that.”

As for recreational shooting the Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports, Archery in the Schools and AGFC Shooting Range programs were all mainstays in the agency’s Education Division, but Booth had the forethought to break these programs into a standalone division to increase visibility and focus on the contributions recreational shooters provide to conservation.

“Shooting sports is absolutely integral to hunting, but recreational shooters contribute so much more to conservation even if they never set foot in the woods,” Booth said. “The money derived from firearms and ammunition sales funds conservation on its own through Pitman-Robinson excise taxes. We want to support those men and women as much as they support conservation.”

In his closing address, Booth thanked the Commission, staff and many partners who make conservation work possible in The Natural State.

“I have always called Arkansas home, even when I didn’t live here for 15 years,” Booth said. “I love this state so much and I always knew that it had so much to do with the hard work of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Thank you so much to our staff and commissioners for letting me be a part of that even if it was just for three and a half years.

“I will let history and the next director say whether I’ve left it better than I found it,” Booth said as he closed. “But I do know that y’all have left me better than I was three and half years ago. Thank y’all, and I’ll see you in the field.”

In other business, the Commission:

  • Heard presentation from AGFC Nongame Mammal Program Coordinator Blake Sasse updating them on the 2023-24 furbearer harvest and the status of many bat species in the state.

  • Heard an update on the AGFC’s Private Lands Habitat Division and the many programs offered to benefit wildlife habitat for all Arkansans.

  • Approved a $215,000 increase to the Information Technology Division budget to update and renovate the audio-visual capabilities in the AGFC’s Little Rock headquarters auditorium.

  • Approved a $191,000 increase to the IT Division to install additional fiber optic lines and upgrade the security of the AGFC Mayflower Office and Enforcement Radio Dispatch Center.

  • Approved a $36,000 budget increase to the Fisheries Division to replace items destroyed in May by a tornado at the AGFC field office in Rogers.

  • Extended their condolences to the family of former Commissioner Craig D. Campbell, who died Nov. 9.

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UAMS’ Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., Publishes Study Results in JAMA Oncology on Treatment for Incurable Cervical Cancer

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By Marty Trieschmann

The results of an international clinical trial led by Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), on the use of a novel bispecific antibody for women with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer were published today in JAMA Oncology.

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer and death in women worldwide with approximately 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths each year. It is estimated that 13,820 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cervical cancer this year, and 4,360 women in the U.S. will die from cervical cancer this year. Arkansas has one of the highest incidence and mortality rates per capita for cervical cancer in the U.S., with 720 cases reported between 2017 and 2021. The overall five-year survival rate for cervical cancer is 67%.

Recognized nationally and internationally as an expert in gynecologic oncology, Birrer led the two-year, multisite study of the bispecific antibody, Bintrafusp alpha, in 146 women with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer that had progressed during or after receiving platinum-based chemotherapy. The treatment resulted in tumor response in 22% of the patients, with 56% responding to the treatment consistently over a period of six months or more.

UAMS’ Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., Publishes Study Results in JAMA Oncology on Treatment for Incurable Cervical Cancer

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The Momentary names longtime Crystal Bridges executive Jill Wagar new director

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by Paul Gatling (pgatling@nwabj.com)

Jill Wagar, a member of the founding executive team of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, is the new director at the Momentary, a Crystal Bridges sister organization in the city featuring contemporary arts and an entertainment venue.

Museum officials announced Wagar’s appointment Tuesday (Nov. 7) following a national search of nearly two years. Lieven Bertels was the founding director when the Momentary opened in February 2020. He departed in the spring of 2022.

According to the news release, Wagar was the interim director for the past several months as the venue hosted several events, including Format Festival and Live on the Green.

The Momentary names longtime Crystal Bridges executive Jill Wagar new director

Jill Wagar

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Dalaney Thomas named tourism director; tourism in state a $9.2 billion industry in 2022

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Delaney Thomas, New Director of Tourism for Arkansas Parks & Tourism

Gov. Sarah Sanders has appointed Dalaney Thomas to be the director of tourism at the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism. Thomas previously worked at Arkansas-based ad agency CJRW where she was account manager for Arkansas Tourism and Oaklawn for almost nine years.

“I’m proud to announce that Dalaney Thomas will serve as Arkansas’ newest Director of Tourism. Dalaney has spent nearly a decade working with Arkansas Tourism from the outside, brainstorming new ideas to get the word out about our state. She’s spearheaded nationwide marketing campaigns and has the creative chops we’ll need to compete with other states,” Sanders said in a Monday (Oct. 23) announcement. “Dalaney joins an incredible team that is going to help us take our state to the next level. This administration is making sweeping reforms to make our outdoor spaces even better.”

In her role at CJRW, Thomas managed the creation and implementation of campaigns, paid media strategies, nationwide public relations endeavors, social media content strategies, partnerships, and cooperative initiatives.

Dalaney Thomas named tourism director; tourism in state a $9.2 billion industry in 2022

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Stone County native Anderson to take Cooperative Extension Service reins in 2024

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By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — An agricultural economist raised in the tiny Stone County community of Timbo is set to become the next director of the Cooperative Extension Service.

John Anderson will assume his new role as senior associate vice president-extension for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture on Jan. 2, said Deacue Fields, vice president-agriculture for the University of Arkansas System.

John Anderson will take the reins of the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in January 2024. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

As director, Anderson will oversee the extension service land-grant outreach mission across all 75 counties.

“With his broad experience, outstanding record of innovation and achievements and just plain enthusiasm for the outreach mission, John is set to strengthen the work the Cooperative Extension Service is doing to improve lives in Arkansas,” said Fields. “John’s background in agriculture, economics and policy will be of great use as leader of the extension service.”

Anderson has been head of the agricultural economics and agribusiness department since January 2020, with appointments in both the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and the Division of Agriculture. He is also head of the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence. Before that, he worked for the American Farm Bureau in Washington and is a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve.

For more than 20 years, Anderson has worked as an agricultural economist in both academic and industry positions. His work has involved describing and assessing the farm- and agricultural sector-level impacts of policy, regulatory and market developments across a wide variety of agricultural commodities and markets. Anderson has served as a faculty member, with primary appointments in extension, at the University of Kentucky and Mississippi State University.

Anderson has a B.S. in agribusiness from College of the Ozarks, a Master of Science in agriculture degree from Arkansas State University and a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Oklahoma State University. He also went back to school to earn a master’s in Christian leadership from the Dallas Theological Seminary in 2020.

Earlier this year, Anderson was elected to become the next president of the Southern Agricultural Economics Association, a role in which he will continue.

Introduction to extension
Raised on a family farm with beef cattle, broilers and a custom hay harvest operation, Anderson grew up with extension.

“I remember being a little kid and us having a field day on our farm with extension,” he said. “We were early adopters of bermudagrass varieties, and we had some variety trials that the county agent ran on our farm.”

His family “had a fertilizer business and we were constantly running soil tests to the county office,” Anderson said. “My first exposure to extension was on the agriculture side.”

Far from being outdated, “extension as important as it's ever been,” he said. “If you look at what's going on in our rural communities right now, if you look at what's going on in the world, there’s a desperate need for unbiased, reliable information to help people make decisions across all aspects of their lives. That’s what extension does.”

Scott’s legacy
“I want to thank Bob Scott for his years of service as director of the Cooperative Extension Service,” Fields said. “Our outreach efforts are better for the work he’s done, and I know his accomplishments will have a lasting effect in the state of Arkansas.”

Scott became extension director in July 2020 and is returning to his faculty role. He has been with the Division of Agriculture since 2002.

The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

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Street retires as director of design and construction for Division of Agriculture

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By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — After more than 32 years with the University of Arkansas System, Dan Street is hanging up his hard hat as director of design and construction for the Division of Agriculture. 

CELEBRATING SUCCESS — Dan Street, far right, is retiring as the director of design and construction for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. He stands in this July 2018 photo recognizing Nabholz Construction's Award of Excellence for its work on the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences. Also pictured are Chris Kotter and Mark Dilday of Nabholz Construction, left; Mark Cochran, then-vice president for agriculture; and David Sargent of WER Architects. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

A drop-in retirement reception for Street will be held 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, in Waldrip Hall at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1371 W. Altheimer Drive.

Street’s career with the University of Arkansas System began in August 1991 as construction coordinator for facilities management for the University of Arkansas flagship campus in Fayetteville. In 2014 he joined the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture, as project/program manager.

He has overseen many construction projects including the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, completed in 2017, and the initial stages of construction of the new Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center outside of Harrisburg in northeast Arkansas.

Please join us in celebrating Street’s 32 years of contributions to the University of Arkansas System with the reception, located two miles north of the University of Arkansas campus off Garland Avenue.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

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Governor Sanders Announces Marty Ryall as Director of the Division of Arkansas Heritage

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today announced her appointment of Marty Ryall as the Director of the Division of Arkansas Heritage, replacing Jimmy Bryant who is retiring at the end of June.

“Arkansans are the heirs of pioneers and patriots. We have a beautiful heritage, and I am confident Marty is the leader who will be able to preserve, protect, and promote that history across our state and the nation,” said Governor Sanders. “I appreciate Jimmy Bryant’s service to our state and know that Marty is the perfect candidate to take up Jimmy’s role. Together, we will take Arkansas Heritage to the top.”

“Marty brings a vast amount of experience to the role of Division Director. Being goal minded, having the ability to communicate well, and being able to navigate complicated processes are a few of the strengths that I have seen displayed in his work for ADPHT. He is well equipped to lead the strong teams that make up the division of Arkansas Heritage,” said Shea Lewis, Interim Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism.

“It is an honor to have the trust and confidence of Governor Sanders and Secretary Lewis to serve in this important position. I have a deep love and respect for our state, its unique history, her natural beauty, and our rich heritage. It is a great responsibility and challenge that I am humbly honored to accept,” said Marty Ryall.

Marty Ryall biography:

Marty Ryall is currently the Director of Legislative Affairs at the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism. He was appointed to that position in January of 2023. In that role, he represents the Department to the legislature and in other government-related activities.

Prior to joining the Department, Marty was the Director of Governmental Affairs at Arkansas PBS for 7 years, where in 2020 he was named Public Television’s National Advocate of the Year for his work. He has extensive government and political experience of over thirty years, having worked in multiple states and in Africa.

Marty also serves as a commissioner on the War Memorial Stadium Commission. He previously served on the Martin Luther King Commission. He is a native of Star City, Arkansas, and is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in International Relations.

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Sanders Appoints Jeff Long as Director of Arkansas Crime Information Center

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced today that she will appoint Jeff Long to serve as the Director of the Arkansas Crime Information Center. 
 
“Today, I am proud to be appointing Jeff Long to serve as the Director of the Arkansas Crime Information Center,” Sanders said. “His impressive, extensive public service career with 36 years in the military and 31 years in law enforcement will be a tremendous asset in working with our top-notch team at the Department of Public Safety to keep our state safe and secure with reliable, up-to-date crime data.”
 
“I am humbled by the Governor’s confidence in me to lead the Arkansas Crime Information Center,” Long said. “I have dedicated my career to protecting Arkansans and Americans from harm, fully equipping me to serve the people of Arkansas in this capacity and support law enforcement agencies with timely, accurate information. Both Governor Sanders’ and Colonel Mike Hagar’s strong, tough on crime leadership is exactly what our state needs to reduce violent crime, and I look forward to working together as we empower all Arkansans with a safer, stronger state.”
 
Jeff Long Bio:
 
Jeff Long began his public service by joining the Arkansas National Guard in 1982 while still a junior in high school. He later transferred to the Army Reserves, where he rose to the rank of Sergeant Major. During his service, he served in various leadership roles. He was a Platoon Sergeant for a HAZ MAT response and served on the Quick Reactionary Force Team in Bagdad, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. 
 
After deployment, he served as Regional Area Manager for the 4th Battalion of the 95th Division instructor group. His mission assignment was teaching Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) advanced and senior leadership courses at U.S. Army Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Sergeant Major Long retired from the Army Reserves in 2019 after 36 years of service. 
 
Director Long started his law enforcement career in 1992 with the Russellville Police Department. While there, he served as a training instructor, field training officer, and a member of the SWAT team. 
 
Director Long joined the ranks of the Arkansas State Police in 1997 with his first assignment in Highway Patrol, Troop A. He later became a member of the Honor Guard and transferred to the Executive Protection Division. While he was with the Executive Protection Division he rose to the rank of Lieutenant and served as Assistant Detail Commander.    
 
Director Long’s public service career includes 36 years in the military and 31 years in law enforcement. He is a graduate of the U.S Army Sergeants Majors Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas, and the University of Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute, School of Law Enforcement and Supervision. 
 
Director Long is a member of Victory Missionary Baptist Church in Russellville. He has been married to his wife, Cindy, for 33 years. The couple have beautiful twin daughters.



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Sanders Appoints Chief Chris Chapmond as Director of the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—Today, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that she will appoint Chief Chris Chapmond to serve as director of the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training. 
 
“I have made it clear that under my leadership, our brave law enforcement officials will always have the training and resources they need to keep Arkansans safe – and I am proud to announce that Hot Springs Chief of Police Chris Chapmond will help me accomplish this as director of the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training,” Sanders said. “With more than 26 years of law enforcement experience, Chapmond will bring critical knowledge and expertise to ensure that our officers are always supported.”
 
Chief Chris Chapmond Bio:
 
Chief Chris Chapmond is Chief of Police at the Hot Springs Police Department and has more than 26 years of law enforcement experience. As Chief, he developed the first five-year strategic plan, implemented a crime reduction strategy utilizing a multifaceted approach, partnered with federal, state, and local partners to reduce violent crime, and managed 164 employees and a $16 million dollar budget. He also spent two years as the Chief of Police for the Bluffton Police Department in Bluffton, South Carolina. 
 
At the Hot Springs Police Department, he rose through the ranks, holding the titles of patrol officer, corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and assistant police chief. 
 
Chapmond also served as operator, team leader, instructor, and incident commander for the Hot Springs Police Department SWAT Team for 11 years.
 
He is a graduate of Columbia Southern University, with his bachelor’s degree in police administration, Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command, and FBI-LEEDA.

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Sanders Names Clint O’Neal Executive Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission

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Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced today that she will name Clint O’Neal Executive Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC).  
 
“I am ready to unleash my vision to make Arkansas the best place in the nation to start and grow a business alongside Clint O’Neal, who will serve as Executive Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission,” Sanders said. “His nearly two decades of experience in this field will be invaluable as we work together with Secretary Hugh McDonald to foster a pro-business, pro-worker environment, attracting companies across the nation – and world – to bring thousands of high-paying jobs to Arkansas.” 
 
“The team at AEDC is full of talented economic development professionals who believe in the mission and work every day to make Arkansas a top business destination. I’m honored and excited to lead the organization that gave me the opportunity to start my career in economic development over 15 years ago,” O’Neal said. “It is a privilege to be entrusted to serve as Executive Director of AEDC at a time when Arkansas is gaining momentum and notoriety on the national and international stage. Arkansas has an outstanding business community and the tools companies need to succeed. I look forward to working alongside Governor Sanders, Secretary McDonald, our state legislature, economic development partners around the state, and the remarkable team at AEDC to make that message known at home and abroad.”
 
“With his wealth of experience in economic development and his passion for supporting businesses and communities in Arkansas, Clint is a natural fit to lead AEDC,” Secretary McDonald said. “Clint has a proven record of reliable leadership, and he has demonstrated that he knows what it takes to bring new capital investment into our state and win new jobs for Arkansans. I have full confidence that AEDC will thrive under Clint’s leadership and, by extension, so will Arkansas.” 
  
Clint O’Neal biography:
 
Clint O’Neal has served as the Deputy Director of Global Business at AEDC since 2018. In his role as deputy director, O’Neal provides leadership to several divisions within the agency, including Business Development, Existing Business, Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development, Marketing, Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise, Film, and Military Affairs. As executive director, he will continue to oversee these divisions, alongside the other functions of the agency, such as community resources, finance, science and technology, and legislative affairs. 
 
O’Neal has nearly two decades of experience in the field of economic development. He began his economic development career as a project manager at AEDC. He then served as Vice President of Business Recruitment for the Missouri Partnership, Missouri’s principal business recruitment and marketing organization, before rejoining AEDC as deputy director.  
 
Clint is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council. He holds a master’s degree in community and economic development from the University of Central Arkansas. 
 
O’Neal lives in Conway with his wife, Heather, and their four children, Chloe, Ellie, Ava and Caleb.

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Glen Howie named new Arkansas broadband director

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KUAR | By Ronak Patel, Josie Lenora

A new broadband director has been named for Arkansas. Glen Howie who comes from the Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity and will lead the state’s broadband expansion.

“Like railways two centuries ago and electricity 100 years ago, broadband internet access today has become a critical piece of infrastructure, igniting economic growth, improving health outcomes, enhancing agricultural output, and advancing the educational experience of our children,” Howie said in a press release. “It is an honor and privilege to be entrusted to build upon the prior success of the state broadband office and lead the team charged with providing a transformational opportunity to all Arkansans."

As a senior policy analyst for the Louisiana Broadband Office Development and Connectivity, Howie was responsible for developing regulations for that state’s $177 million infrastructure grant program. Louisiana was one of the first four states in the country to have its plans approved by the U.S Treasury Department.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-07-11/glen-howie-named-new-arkansas-broadband-director

Glen Howie Twitter Page

Glen Howie will be responsible for helping Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston expand broadband access in the state.

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Arkansas lawmakers approve Director of Broadband position for Commerce Department

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KUAR | By Ronak Patel

Arkansas lawmakers have approved a new position to oversee the expansion of high-speed internet service in the state.

A report from consultant Broadband Development Group found 110,000 homes in the state are in need of faster internet connectivity, and are located in areas not covered by any state or federal broadband grant programs.

According to a report from the legislature's Uniform Personnel Classification and Compensation Subcommittee, the Arkansas Department of Commerce had requested up to $200,000 to hire a director of the State Broadband Office. In a meeting of the subcommittee on Friday, lawmakers approved between $149,862 and $181,500 for the position.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-05-20/arkansas-lawmakers-approve-director-of-broadband-position-for-department-of-commerce

Michael Hibblen/KUAR News

Arkansas will receive $100 million from the federal government to expand broadband internet.

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Shane Gadberry appointed director of Livestock and Forestry Research Center near Batesville

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by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

After 25 years as an extension livestock specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Dr. Shane Gadberry has been appointed resident director of the Livestock and Forestry and Research Station near Batesville. It will allow him to continue to do research about beef production in the Natural State.

The Livestock and Forestry Research Station is one of six research stations operated by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture. The division also operates five research and extension centers, numerous other research sites and extension offices in all 75 Arkansas counties.

Gadberry succeeds Don Hubbell, who retired as director of the Batesville station in early 2022.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/01/shane-gadberry-appointed-director-of-livestock-and-forestry-research-center-near-batesville/

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Shea Lewis named director of Arkansas State Parks

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by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Shea Lewis was named Monday (Jan. 3) as the new director of Arkansas State Parks. He replaces Grady Spann, who retired at the end of December.

Lewis began in the role on Jan. 3 at a salary of $120,002.

Lewis brings 24 years of experience with Arkansas State Parks, both in day-to-day operations and in executive leadership roles. He currently serves as deputy director, a position he has held since 2017.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/01/shea-lewis-named-director-of-arkansas-state-parks/

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Elena Ambrogini, M.D., Ph.D., Named Director of UAMS Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism

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By Linda Satter

Elena Ambrogini, M.D., Ph.D., has been named director of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

Ambrogini is an associate professor in the division, which is part of the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine.

She has been at UAMS in various roles since 2007, starting out as a post-doctoral research fellow, before becoming an Internal Medicine resident, then a fellow in endocrinology and metabolism and, beginning in 2015, an assistant professor. Before coming to UAMS, she completed medical school and a residency in endocrinology and metabolism in Italy.

She is also a staff endocrinologist at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.

https://news.uams.edu/2021/09/14/elena-ambrogini-m-d-ph-d-named-director-of-uams-division-of-endocrinology-and-metabolism/