Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced on Wednesday his newly reorganized cabinet to run state agencies.
Essentially, he is keeping the same people to run the agencies they have been leading. But there will be fewer agencies, with other entities rolled into those agencies.
The announcement is a part of his plan to reorganize state government. He signed Act 910 of 2019 into law, which reduces the number of agencies. The state Department of Higher Education, for example, will be under control of the state Department of Education.
The change takes effect on July 1, the start of state government’s fiscal year.
The 15 cabinet positions will replace 42 cabinet positions. Seven are run by women, which represents 47% of the appointments. The governor’s office said in its announcement that the 47% represents the highest percentage of women in cabinet appointments in Arkansas history and that this is the biggest reorganization of state government in nearly 50 years.
The appointments are:
Secretary of the Department of Agriculture: Wes Ward, currently Secretary of the Arkansas Agriculture Department.
Secretary of the Department of Commerce: Michael Preston, the executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. He will continue to work both jobs.
Secretary of the Department of Correction: Wendy Kelley, the director of the Arkansas Department of Correction, which the governor’s office said will be called the Division of Corrections. She will continue to work in both capacities, the governor said.
Secretary of the Department of Education: Johnny Key. He is the Commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Education, which the governor said will be known as the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. He will continue to serve in both capacities.
Secretary of the Department of Energy and Environment: Becky W. Keogh, who is the Director of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. The governor said it will be known as the Division of Environmental Quality and that she will continue to serve in both capacities.
Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration: Larry W. Walther, who is the director of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.
Secretary of the Department of Health: Dr. Nathaniel Smith, who is currently director of the Arkansas Department of Health.
Secretary of the Department of Human Services: Cindy Gillespie, director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services.
Secretary of the Department of Inspector General: Elizabeth Thomas Smith, the Arkansas Medicaid Inspector General. She will continue to serve in both capacities, the governor said.
Secretary of the Department of Labor and Licensing: Daryl E. Bassett, director of the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, which will be known as the Division of Workforce Services.
Secretary of the Department of the Military: Maj. Gen. Mark H. Berry, who is Adjutant General of the Arkansas National Guard.
Secretary of the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism: Stacy Hurst. She is director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, soon to be known as the Division of Arkansas Heritage. She will continue to serve in both capacities, the governor said.
Secretary of the Department of Public Safety: Jami Cook, who is director of the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training, an agency that the governor said will become the Division of Law Enforcement Standards and Training. She will continue to serve in both capacities.
Secretary of the Department of Transformation and Shared Services: Amy Fecher. She is chief transformation officer of the Governor’s Office of Transformation.
Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Col. (Ret.) Nathaniel “Nate” Todd, the director of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.