The interim finance director for the city of Jonesboro has been named to the position full time following the firing of the previous director, who was accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl, officials said.
Deanna Hornback has worked in the city's finance department since October and was previously the finance manager.
Hornback will replace Trever Harvey, 39, of Jonesboro, who was fired after his arrest. Harvey was charged on March 11 with second-degree sexual assault, sexual indecency with a child, sexually grooming a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Officers with the Jonesboro Police Department said they were notified that Harvey had made sexual contact with a preteen girl sometime during the summer of 2018. The incident was reported by the girl's mother, according to the affidavit.
“Deanna has stepped into a role with the City not because she needed to, but because she wanted to, and her work has been invaluable in our finance department,” Mayor Harold Perrin said in a news release. “She is widely respected inside and outside city government, and quickly familiarized herself with the complex role of overseeing the city’s finances.”
Hornback retired from Suddenlink in 2014 after serving 22 years as general manager and three years as director of system operations, where she managed more than 375 employees and 48 system locations.
Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.