Conway minimum
wage going to $15
Entry level city of Conway employees earning less than $15 per hour will have their pay adjusted beginning today -- going to $15 per hour for full time and $13 for part time -- the Conway City Council voted Tuesday.
The action comes after Mayor Bart Castleberry commissioned a committee about two years ago to study the city's pay scale to see how it compares with other cities in the state.
The committee identified 11 positions for which the city is paying below $15 per hour.
The Conway City Council appropriated $104,540 from the general fund balance to compensate for the increase in pay and benefits.
The city is competing not only with other cities but also businesses like Amazon, Walmart and McDonald's for employees, city spokesman Bobby Kelly said.
"Mayor Castleberry intends for the committee to make this review an annual occurrence, probably every June or July," Kelly said.
Conway chamber's
Hogan takes post
Lee Hogan, director of communications for the Conway Area of Commerce, has been named editor of Conway Publications Inc.
As editor, Hogan will oversee the production of all chamber publications, including Pulse of Conway, the Chamber's monthly business publication, and Conway +, an annual comprehensive guide to the Conway area that provides information and updates on the local economy, education, health care, real estate, arts and culture, annual events, outreach and more.
Hogan will continue to serve as director of communications for the chamber, a position he has held since Feb. 2021.
ATU names head
of alumni relations
Arkansas Tech University in Russellville recently announced that Caroline Kitchens is the new director of alumni relations.
Kitchens' permanent and full-time appointment was confirmed by the ATU board of trustees during its June meeting. She began serving as interim director of alumni relations after the retirement of her predecessor, Kelly Davis, in May 2021.
"Caroline plays a crucial role on our advancement team," Jason Geiken, ATU vice president for advancement, said. "She has been extremely successful in the role of interim director of alumni relations and we look forward to her continued leadership of those operations."
Kitchens began her advancement career in September 2014 as annual giving coordinator at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif. One year later, she returned to her alma mater as director of annual giving programs at ATU. She has served in that capacity for the past seven years.
"Dating back to my days as an undergraduate student at Arkansas Tech, I have developed an understanding and an appreciation of the roles ATU alumni play as advocates for our university," Kitchens said. "Through the programs and initiatives of the ATU Alumni Association, my goal is to engage graduates, former students, current students and community members in support of our institutional mission and vision. When we speak with a united voice about Arkansas Tech's achievements and opportunities, we have the ability to influence positive change for the benefit of current and future ATU students."
Fuel prices pinch
Conway's airport
The Conway Regional Airport has already spent 58% of its annual fuel budget due to the escalating fuel prices.
Chief Financial Officer Tyler Winningham told the board recently that additional funds may need to be appropriated to cover the cost of fuel for the rest of the year.
Interim Airport Director Tim Huey said that the price of fuel was affecting airport fuel sales. Fuel sales for April exceeded 31,000 gallons while the sales for May totaled nearly 27,000.
Brown promoted
at Conway Corp.
Conway Corp. Power Supply Manager Erin Brown was recently promoted to assistant director of the department.
In his new role, Brown will assist in the direction of Conway Corp.'s power supply and energy efficiency efforts and major account direction in conjunction with the director of power supply/major accounts.
"Erin is a proven high performer," Michael Chapman, director of power supply and major accounts, said. "He continues to develop and utilize his skills to drive improvement in our organization. His leadership and work ethic have made him a highly valued member of our team."
Brown began his career at Conway Corp. in 2019 as a power supply analyst 1.
Deputy promoted
at county lockup
Faulkner County sheriff's Deputy Terry Roper was recently promoted to first lieutenant and assistant jail administrator, the department announced.
Roper has been with the Faulkner County sheriff's office since 2013, beginning in the juvenile detention center. He earned his law enforcement general certification in 2018.
"Because of his passion and solid experience, he was asked and promoted to head up the maximum security unit as detention lieutenant in 2021," sheriff's office spokesman Sherry Skaggs said in a news release.
5 cable employees
earn certifications
Conway Corp. recently announced that five cable department employees earned certifications from the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers.
Telecom installer trainee Jacob Keller and telecom installer technicians 1 Lane McNew and Matt Stephens have earned their SCTE Broadband Premises Installer certifications. They each joined the company in 2020 as installer trainees.
Telecom construction technician 3 Alex Bethea has earned his SCTE Coaxial Construction certification. Bethea joined the company in 2018 as a cable TV field worker.
Telecom construction technician 5 John Spotts has earned his SCTE Optical Fiber Construction certification. Spotts joined the company in 2018 as an installer trainee.
SCTE is a nonprofit professional association for the advancement of technology, standards and workforce education related to cable telecommunications engineering. SCTE certification is based on in-depth testing and ongoing professional development maintenance through continuing technical education requirements.