Jimmy Bryant of Conway, the University of Central Arkansas' director of archives, has been tapped to head the Division of Arkansas Heritage, it was announced Thursday.
The division is part of the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, formed under Gov. Asa Hutchinson's consolidation of 42 executive-branch agencies into 15 departments, effective in July. Bryant will serve as the division's director.
Bryant will start Jan. 6, at an annual salary of $108,110, according to state officials. He is paid $57,410 at the university, said Jeremy Gillam, UCA's director of governmental affairs and external relations.
Bryant, 65, said he plans to retire at the end of this year as UCA's director of archives, a post he has held since 1998. He also serves as university historian and spent two years as an academic adviser at UCA.
He served eight years on the Faulkner County Quorum Court and then lost his 2010 bid for state House of Representatives as a Republican candidate against Conway Democrat Linda Tyler.
The Heritage Division includes four museums, and four resources agencies that work to preserve, protect and promote the natural and cultural history of Arkansas. Bryant will oversee the work of all eight entities, according state officials.
In May, Hutchinson said Stacy Hurst, who had served as director of the then-separate Department of Arkansas Heritage, would continue to serve as the head of Arkansas Heritage when he announced her appointment as secretary of the consolidated Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.
Asked whether the governor always planned to fill the Arkansas Heritage director post or whether the decision was made since May, Hutchinson said Thursday in a written statement, "As part of transformation of state government, I've tasked all Cabinet Secretaries with identifying ways to streamline services, leverage resources, and promote efficiencies within their agencies.
"This also includes filling critical positions throughout their divisions," the Republican governor said.
"The Director of Heritage is critical in preserving the rich history of the state and Jimmy Bryant's qualifications make him an excellent choice to fill the position. The cost of this position is absorbed by other savings within the department," he said.
Arkansas History Commission member Mary Dillard questioned whether Bryant has enough management experience for the job, but she said she hopes he is successful.
The museums are the Delta Cultural Center, Historic Arkansas Museum, Old State House Museum and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. The heritage resource agencies are the Arkansas Arts Council, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and Arkansas State Archives.
Bryant said Hurst approached him about the possibility of becoming heritage director after she heard about his retirement plans. She offered him the job near the end of November and he accepted.
Hurst said, through department spokeswoman Melissa Whitfield, that she talked with a few other people about the director's job, "but only Jimmy was offered the job."
The job wasn't advertised because it is classified as a senior executive position that is exempt from the advertising requirement, Whitfield said.
Bryant said he expects his last day on UCA's campus to be either Dec. 16 or 17.
He plans to begin meeting employees in the museums and resource agencies before officially starting work in January.
"Right now, it is going to be a learning experience," he said.
Hurst said in a written statement, "I've had the opportunity to work with Jimmy over the past several years, and I know he has the credentials and professionalism needed to effectively lead Arkansas Heritage.
"He'll be a great addition to our team," she added.
Hutchinson said that "the work of Arkansas Heritage is far-ranging.
"Its thought-provoking museum exhibits, its system of natural areas, and its grants for arts and preservation come together to support and preserve Arkansas culture and heritage," Hutchinson said in a written statement. "Jimmy Bryant's understanding and experience in the study and conservation of Arkansas history will be an extraordinary addition to this effort."
Bryant has bachelor's and master's degrees in history from UCA, and is certified by the Academy of Certified Archivists, according to state officials.
He serves on the History Commission, which is the advisory board for the State Archives, but will resign that position, according to state officials.
Dillard, who lives near Glen Rose on the Hot Spring-Saline county line, said at least Bryant has some archival experience to bring to his new post.
"Maybe the State Archives will prosper a little bit better than they have in the recent past because he is an archivist," she said.
Dillard said she is surprised that Bryant was hired as heritage director.
"I thought they might select him to be the director of the State Archives, but the whole department?" she said. (The archives director post is vacant.)
"It's a big job and I'm sure he'll be challenged," she said. "I wish him well because we need to have things work well."
Dillard added she hopes Bryant will be a strong advocate for the division.
Bryant said he manages two student workers, a full-time employee and a part-time employee at UCA.
The heritage division has 147 filled full-time positions and 49 filled extra-help positions, Whitfield said.
The division's appropriation totals $46.6 million, while the total appropriation for the department is $204.3 million, she said. The division is authorized for 171 full-time positions and 69 extra-help positions, while the entire department is authorized for 976 full-time positions and 1,029 extra-help positions, she said.
The director of the State Archives had been Wendy Richter. She retired in August, citing ongoing health issues. She had returned to the post in May 2018 after previously holding the job from 2005-12 when the agency was known as the Arkansas History Commission.
Whitfield said Hurst had conducted three interviews for the archives director post, with one more interview to do. Hurst intends to make a job offer this month after consulting Bryant, according to Whitfield. The department received 55 applications for the archives director post, Whitfield added.
Metro on 12/06/2019
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story listed the incorrect institution where Jimmy Bryant earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in history. They are from the University of Central Arkansas.