Leader's time up at Delta agency

Holdover under Trump is notified

WASHINGTON -- Chris Masingill announced Thursday that he's no longer federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority.

"This afternoon, I was notified that my holdover position ... has come to an end, effective immediately," Masingill said in a letter addressed to "DRA friends and supporters."

Although he was appointed by a Democrat, the new Republican administration retained him for an additional six months.

"It has been a tremendous honor and privilege to serve all of you, and to work on behalf of the Delta region. I have been very blessed to have served in this role, and to serve President Barack Obama and as a holdover under President Donald Trump," he said.

The authority, which was created in 2000 with the support of President Bill Clinton, covers seven states along the Mississippi River plus Alabama and encompasses 252 counties and parishes, many of them with high rates of poverty.

The authority was one of 19 independent agencies targeted for closure under a 2018 budget blueprint released in March by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

The organization, which awards millions of dollars in grants each year, "fosters local and regional partnerships that address economic and social challenges to ultimately strengthen the Delta economy and the quality of life for Delta residents," its website states.

Masingill, who lives in Little Rock, served as director of intergovernmental affairs for then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe and was the Arkansas recovery implementation director for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Obama appointed him to lead the Delta authority in 2010.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Senior Editor Rex Nelson, a former alternate federal co-chairman of the authority, said Masingill's ouster was "very, very normal," given the change in administrations.

"It's standard operating procedure," he said.

Nelson, who served in the administration of Republican President George W. Bush, said he was impressed with Masingill's leadership.

"I thought Chris did an outstanding job," he said. "He kept his eye on the ball and kept the focus on all eight states. I thought he did an admirable job during his time there."

Metro on 07/28/2017

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