Two former Arkansas House speakers, including one who just resigned as head of the Arkansas Community Colleges association, have formed a lobbying partnership.
Former House Speakers Bill Stovall III and Robbie Wills, both Democrats, announced the formation of WSG Consulting LLC on Tuesday, a day after news broke of Stovall's resignation as the association's executive director.
Other partners in the new firm are Wills' wife, Dana Wills, a certified public accountant; and another former legislator, Rick Green, a Republican and former chief legislative liaison for Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Stovall, then from Quitman, was in the House from 2001-2007, the last two years as speaker. He later worked as a House staff member in several capacities, including director of constituency services, chief of staff and chief operating officer.
Robbie Wills, an attorney, was House speaker in 2009-10. Green, a former three-term state representative, was already involved in a lobbying effort with the Wills couple.
Last Thursday, Stovall submitted a letter of resignation, effective Oct. 31, to the association, where he had worked five years. The letter did not mention his plans with Wills.
Stephen Cole, the organization's executive committee chairman and chancellor of the University of Arkansas' Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas in De Queen, accepted Stovall's resignation in a letter that said the association had agreed to pay the balance of Stovall's annual and sick leave on or before Oct. 31.
Cole added, however, that "your [Stovall's] access to the ACC offices and all ACC accounts will be suspended at the end of business" Friday.
Neither letter gave a reason for Stovall's departure.
Contacted Thursday, Stovall said he was not asked to resign.
Stovall also said he considered the language about office access and accounts to be "very standard for people who are separating employment."
"I separated from the association with standard operating procedures where you turn your keys in and you expect your email accounts to be disconnected," he added.
"I'm happy to move on to opportunities I have beyond the association," Stovall said.
Stovall said his total compensation package at the association was roughly $205,000 annually plus housing and vehicle allowances and benefits.
Wills said that WSG was "an outgrowth" of a lobbying business he already had with his wife and Green.
"Bill and I have worked closely together since he was Speaker during my first term in the House," Wills said in the announcement.
State Desk on 10/04/2018