Ethics panel seat given to Bentonville attorney

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has appointed attorney Alice Eastwood of Bentonville to the state Ethics Commission, Hutchinson announced this week.

RELATED ARTICLE

http://www.arkansas…">Governor's appointments

The commission enforces laws on ethics, conflicts of interest, lobbying, campaign finance and ballot questions in Arkansas, and acts as a fact-finder and sanctioning body regarding allegations of violations of laws under its jurisdiction, according to the commission.

Hutchinson said in a statement that Eastwood's "experience as Senior Director of International Ethics for Walmart and her strong legal background will make her a valuable addition to the commission.

"I look forward to seeing the positive impact Mrs. Eastwood will have on the Ethics Commission and the state of Arkansas," the Republican governor said Wednesday.

Hutchinson appointed Eastwood to the five-member commission Feb. 9, and she took the oath of office from Benton County Judge Barry Moehring on Feb. 10, according to records in the secretary of state's office.

She replaced Commissioner Robert McCormack of Conway, a retired University of Central Arkansas administrator who was appointed by then-Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe in 2012.

Eastwood, 38, said she has been senior director for international ethics for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for three years and that she's worked for the company since 2009. She said she previously worked six years for the Arkansas State Police.

She earned her bachelor's degree in public administration from Henderson State University and a law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Eastwood said Wednesday that she considers herself a good fit for the commission because of her private-sector experience in ethics. The governor gave her no marching orders for her service on the commission, she said.

"I am excited to serve in this capacity to serve the state," she said Wednesday in a telephone interview. "I think the appointment was based on my qualifications and my ethics."

Eastwood's first commission meeting will be Friday.

The other commissioners include former state Sen. Sharon Trusty, R-Russellville, who was appointed in 2013 by then-state Senate President Pro Tempore Michael Lamoureux, R-Russellville, and retired educator Sybil Jordan Hampton of Little Rock, who was appointed in 2014 by then-Democratic Attorney General Dustin McDaniel.

The other two commissioners are attorney Ashley Driver Younger of Little Rock, who serves as executive director of Central Arkansas Rescue Effort for Animals and was appointed by Republican Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin in December 2015, and attorney Tony Juneau of Rogers, who was appointed to the commission by House Speaker Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, in March 2015.

Metro on 02/16/2017

Upcoming Events