To replace 2, heritage office hires 1 deputy

The director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage has appointed Rebecca Burkes -- the wife of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority's president -- as the agency's deputy director, after firing two deputy directors.

Director Stacy Hurst said Friday that Rebecca Burkes, who started work Tuesday, "was recommended to me, and I don't remember by who."

She said she met Burkes for the first time "fairly recently," but she doesn't remember when.

Hurst said she was impressed by Burkes' "strong resume," and Gov. Asa Hutchinson approved the recommendation.

"I have full confidence in her ability to contribute substantially to our department," she said.

Hurst said reducing the number of deputy directors from two to one will save the department more than $100,000 a year in salary and benefits without affecting the agency's ability to carry out its mission.

Burkes' salary is $94,500 a year. Former deputy directors Kathy Holt and Marynell Branch were each paid $99,700 a year, said department spokesman Melissa Whitfield.

The department was created in 1975 to preserve and promote Arkansas' heritage.

It oversees the Delta Cultural Center in Helena-West Helena, as well as the Historic Arkansas Museum, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and the Old State House Museum in Little Rock. It also coordinates the Arkansas Arts Council, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.

According to her resume, Rebecca Burkes was an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison from July 2012 to May 2015; a part-time government contract specialist at the Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin from August 2012-July 2013; and an assistant professor of management at Luther College in Iowa from August 2011-July 2012. She also was vice president and chief counsel for The Burkes Co. in Rogers from 1998-2011; corporate counsel for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in Bentonville from 1995-98; and an attorney for the McKinnon law firm in Fayetteville from 1993-1995.

Her husband is Aaron Burkes.

He started work for the Arkansas Development Finance Authority in March after he decided against becoming the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville's associate vice chancellor for business affairs. He succeeded Gene Eagle as the authority's president in May. He had been an administrator at the Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin during the past three years and had served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2007-09 as a Republican.

Branch and Holt's personnel files include identical letters dated Aug. 28 from Hurst stating that each one was terminated "effective immediately."

"I regret that decisions such as this is necessary to maintain efficiency in the ever-changing face of state government," Hurst wrote in the letters. "I appreciate your dedication and service you have provided to the state of Arkansas."

Hurst later agreed to extend Branch and Holt's employment at the agency until Sept. 1 to allow them to have insurance coverage for the month of September, according to their personnel files.

Holt said she had worked at the department as a deputy director for two years and 10 months after working for six years for Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe and 22 years for the Bureau of Legislative Research.

Branch said she had worked at the department as a deputy director since 2004, and she worked as an aide for Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee during the previous five years.

"I loved my job, and I loved the state," Branch said.

After reviewing the Department of Arkansas Heritage's structure for several months, Hurst said she recommended terminating Holt and Branch. Hutchinson approved of the recommendation.

The 40-year-old agency had had two deputy directors since 2000, Whitfield said.

Earlier Friday, Hutchinson spokesman J.R. Davis said the governor "was consulted" about these decisions, and Hutchinson "has confidence in his agency directors to make personnel decisions."

Hurst is a former member of the Little Rock Board of Directors who lost a state House race to Democrat Clarke Tucker in November. She and her husband, Howard Hurst, own and operate the Tipton & Hurst floral chain.

Metro on 09/05/2015

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