The chief operating officer for the Arkanas House, Bill Stovall of Little Rock, has accepted a job as executive director of the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges.
It’s not “an easy decision to leave” the House, Stovall said Wednesday, but said he believes he can contribute to the success of the association representing the state’s 22 two-year colleges and thus the state, and he can’t refuse to do that.
He’ll start working for the association Oct. 1, and his last day working for the House hasn’t been determined, he said.
Stovall, a Democrat, has served as the House’s chief operating officer under House Speaker Davy Carter, R-Cabot, and previously served stints as the House chief of staff, director of constituency services and a legislative analyst since 2007.
He was in the House from 2001-07, the last two years as House speaker. He is generally known in legislative circles for his knowledge of the state budget. He is a native of Heber Springs and served eight years on the Cleburne County Quorum Court before serving in the House.
Republicans’ takeover of control of the House and Senate in November’s general election doesn’t have anything to do with him taking a new job, Stovall said.
Stovall “helped me become a better speaker, helped our members become better legislators and in turn made Arkansas a better state,” Carter said, adding that he can’t wait to see the positive changes at the two-year colleges as a result of Stovall’s leadership and vision.
Stovall said he’ll receive a pay raise from the current annual salary of $133,034 as the House’s chief operating officer to be executive director of the association. He declined to disclose what he called “a nice compensation package” because he said he hasn’t signed a contract with the association yet.
Chris Thomason, chairman of the presidents and chancellors division of the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges, also declined to disclose Stovall’s salary, saying Stovall’s contract hasn’t been finalized and the association is a private, nonprofit group.
Thomason, who is chancellor of the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope and served in the House from 2003-07, said the presidents and chancellors of the state’s 22 two-year colleges confirmed Stovall for the association’s executive director job Tuesday based on Stovall’s personal and professional commitment to higher education.
During the past several years, Stovall has earned an associate of arts degree from Pulaski Technical College, a bachelor’s degree in political science from University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a master’s degree in liberal arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
While Stovall will start work for the association on Oct. 1, the association’s executive director, Ed Franklin, will work for the group until his retirement Jan. 2, 2014, to provide for a seamless transition, Thomason said.
House Chief of Staff Gabe Holmstrom said House officials haven’t decided whether to fill Stovall’s post as the House’s chief operating officer after Stovall leaves his House job.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 05/30/2013