The Arkansas State Veterans Home in North Little Rock. (Courtesy photo)
Retired Maj. Gen. Kendall Penn on Wednesday announced his resignation as secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs effective Dec. 31.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed Penn as Arkansas’ second Veterans Affairs secretary in January 2023. She has not yet named a replacement.
“I feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to serve and support Arkansas veterans, many of whom I served alongside in uniform for 34 years,” Penn said in a statement.
Penn served as adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard for three years prior to his appointment to head the veterans department. He has been a member of the Arkansas Army National Guard since enlisting in 1982. He also served in the active Army in several command assignments. He was promoted to major general in March 2013
In a press release, Sanders praised Penn’s service and said she looks forward to finding “new ways to attract veterans to our state, serve them while they’re here, and honor them for the sacrifices they’ve made for our nation.”
The Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs is a state agency created in 1923 by the Arkansas General Assembly to connect veterans and their dependents to state and federal services. ADVA employs 300 personnel in support of Arkansas veterans and their families statewide.