CAPITOL CONNECTIONS

Two directors become one, throw out romance rulebook

She wore a short, off-white dress with lace; he wore a black tuxedo. Their cake was a replica of the state Capitol, where they wed. But the nuptials and after-party were anything but ordinary.

Julie Chapman, a law professor and deputy director of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, and Kelley Linck, a retired legislator and director of government relations for the state Department of Human Services, exchanged vows before a packed crowd in the governor's conference room at the state Capitol the evening of June 15.

Chapman was escorted by her three children -- Katie, Connor and Quinn Cullen -- with U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard "Buzz" Arnold presiding. Also participating were Linck's boss, DHS Director Cindy Gillespie and Chapman's boss, ADEQ Director Becky Keogh, as well as the "big boss" himself, Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

A program printed on plain brown paper included many a detail about the intricacies of the couple's careers and courtship. Bridesmaids, groomsmen and toastmasters included lawyers and legislators, as well as others entrenched in state government.

Afterward, the well-heeled crew trailed across the street to the sixth-floor offices of the Arkansas State University System. Guests were greeted at ground level and given red Solo cups for the night's liquor stations, which included a tequila bar, a wine room, buckets of cold beer and trays of Jell-O shots. Fare included a seemingly endless supply of Papa John's pizza, tacos from Taco Bell and hamburgers from Burger King. Guests included Elvis, Margaret Thatcher, President Ronald Reagan and AC/DC's Angus Young, all represented by cardboard cutouts.

Though Chapman was the mastermind behind the affair, Linck was the hero of the day -- he participated in every minute of the revelry even though he'd had a root canal earlier in the day.

High Profile on 06/25/2017

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