It was an unusual announcement.
“Steve Voorhies, known by colleagues for his snide comments, snarky answers, overly picky and sometimes actually vicious editing, says he will retire effective Aug. 31.”
Voorhies, 69, wrote the parody news release to let people know of his impending retirement. After being tweaked by his co-workers, it was emailed to a Listserv of university communicators on July 10.
For the past 13 years, Voorhies has been the media relations manager for the university relations office at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Before that, he was a television reporter, construction worker and cook.
“Coworkers were caught off guard by the news, as well as by Voorhies’ level of education, which he took great pains to conceal,” according to the faux press release, which was obtained through a request under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
Originally of Babylon, N.Y., Voorhies earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1971 from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn.
He then spent five years working in construction in Maryland before moving to Fayetteville with his wife and son to pursue a master’s degree in speech and dramatic art. The school had been recommended by a friend.
“It was a life-changing experience,” said Voorhies. “When I moved here, people thought I was a northerner. Now, they think I’m from Arkansas.”
Voorhies landed a job at KFSM, Channel 5, in Fayetteville, in 1977, the year before he got his master’s degree. Voorhies stayed at KFSM until 2003, rising to the position of assistant news editor.
While there, Voorhies was famous for his movie reviews. His television broke around 1980, and Voorhies never got it fixed, preferring to go to movies instead.
“All the time I worked in television I did not own one,” he said. “I decided I was happy without it.”
For 25 years, on Saturday nights, Voorhies worked as a cook at Restaurant on the Corner, which was on Dickson Street in Fayetteville before moving to the edge of town and eventually closing in 2017.
“I needed to supplement my income,” said Voorhies. “It was a good change of pace. When I was in TV, it was a mental health thing. I enjoyed the work. I enjoyed making food for people, and I enjoyed the people I was working with.”
“He’d listen to music and make pizza,” said T.L. Nelms, who owned the restaurant. “He just kind of did it to get out and about, keep his finger on the pulse, I guess.”
Charlie Alison, who also works in the university relations office, said Voorhies worked a second job to help put his three kids through college.
“On both sides of being a reporter and being in a position to work with reporters, he’s always been really savvy about how communication works and how best to explain stories to people who are hearing them for the first time,” said Alison.
Voorhies moved to Florida in 2003 to work for a Panama City television station. He returned to Arkansas two years later and went to work for the university in 2006.
Voorhies has been a fixture in the Northwest Arkansas Gridiron shows, where journalists parody politicians and other newsmakers.
“I’ve been getting my biggest laughs the last two years in Gridiron playing Vladimir Putin,” said Voorhies. “The only reason it’s getting laughs is I come out with no shirt on. My bare chest apparently is hilarious.”
Voorhies said working at the university has been a great job.
“I enjoy working with reporters,” he said. “I am heartbroken by the current state of decline of the news media as an industry.”
In the parody news release, Voorhies praised UA communications directors.
“In their telling of their units’ stories so clearly and concisely, I am constantly amazed at how pithy they can be,” said Voorhies. “In fact I’d say this cohort is full of pith. The pleasure of working with them has been all mine.”
Voorhies said he has no big retirement plans, other than to get a subscription to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . Voorhies said he wants the print version for as long as he can get it.
According to openua.uark.edu, Voorhies makes $61,592 a year.