Bentonville School Board picks Quinn to fill vacancy

BENTONVILLE -- A Wal-Mart official with a background in state government was appointed to the School Board's Zone 7 seat during the board's special meeting Monday.

Joe Quinn was one of seven people the board interviewed Monday for the position left vacant after the resignation of Wendi Cheatham on Aug. 10. The board spent about an hour in executive session before all six board members voted in favor of appointing Quinn.

Quinn likely will be sworn in at the board's next meeting, which is Tuesday, according to Superintendent Michael Poore.

Quinn, senior director of public affairs and government relations for Wal-Mart, was the only applicant who didn't interview with the board in person. His interview was done via teleconference because he was on a business trip in New York City.

The board's Zone 7 covers most of the south and southwest portions of the district, including parts of the cities of Bentonville, Centerton, Rogers, Highfill and Cave Springs.

With Quinn's appointment, five of the board's seven members work for Wal-Mart. Board President Travis Riggs said that was something that came up during the board's executive session discussion. Riggs said he understood how that might bother some people, but it doesn't concern him.

"In this community, most people are tied to Walmart somehow," Riggs said. "I think there may be some in the community who say, 'Wow, yet another Wal-Mart person on the board.' But I think (Quinn) will bring a unique perspective that won't be tainted by Wal-Mart."

Quinn said Tuesday he was excited to be joining the board of the fastest-growing school district in Arkansas.

"Our challenge will continue to be to maintain high academic standards and at the same time find the resources to pay for more than 800 new students per year," Quinn wrote in an email.

"We also need to be tracking data to see where our students go after they graduate, and how we stack up against similar public school systems. I am a strong believer that good communication is critical to keeping families fully engaged with our Bentonville schools."

Quinn, 59, has lived on Wimbledon Way in Rogers since 2006, in a neighborhood that's part of the Bentonville School District.

He has a history of involvement with the district. In 2010 he co-led a millage campaign, along with former board member Marshall Ney, that raised $70 million to build Willowbrook Elementary, Bright Field Middle and Fulbright Junior High schools. Quinn also participated in the committee that campaigned for a millage increase to build a second high school in 2012; that issue failed by a wide margin.

Quinn ran for a board seat in 2011, but lost in a runoff election to Willie Cowgur. That election came just before a change in board structure that made each seat representative of a certain geographic zone.

"At the end of the day, he smoked me," Quinn said about Cowgur, the board's vice president and Zone 4 representative. "It was a race we ran with respect and integrity."

Quinn also was part of a group of local parents who won approval from the state Board of Education to establish Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy, a charter school that opened in 2013 and serves 600 students in grades kindergarten through 10.

That group of parents told the state Board of Education the Bentonville School District was doing "a great job," but they wanted an alternative educational setting, Quinn said. Quinn served on Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy's board during its first year. The school is operated by Responsive Education Solutions.

Before moving to Northwest Arkansas and going to work for Wal-Mart, Quinn was director of policy for former Gov. Mike Huckabee. He also previously worked as director of communications for the Arkansas Department of Human Services and as a television journalist with the CBS affiliate in Little Rock.

Riggs said the decision about whom to appoint was difficult.

"We had some very good candidates, and candidates I thought brought different things to the floor," Riggs said. "We had great choices. It was not an easy decision."

Quinn is well versed in education and what's involved in running a school district, Riggs said.

Quinn and his wife, Shannon, have one son and one daughter. Their son graduated from Bentonville High School in May and is attending the University of Arkansas. Their daughter is a sophomore at Bentonville High.

Quinn said during his interview he wonders whether the district is doing enough to serve those students who don't plan to go to college.

Cheatham served on the board for nearly three years, including one year as board president. She never said why she resigned. Her unfinished term expires in September 2016. Quinn said he intends to run for election when that time comes.

"I don't see a scenario where I would not run again," he said. "It's a great opportunity."

NW News on 09/02/2015