Former Arkansas state Sen. Linda Chesterfield and current GOP Chair Joseph Wood (Official state photos)
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Friday named a former Democratic state senator and the current chair of the state GOP to the Black History Commission of Arkansas.
Linda Chesterfield of Little Rock, the former lawmaker, and Joseph Wood of Fayetteville, the Republican Party chair, will fill currently vacant seats on the seven-member commission, which works to promote and preserve African American history in the state.
They will be joined on the commission, once the Senate ratifies the appointments, by Daion Daniels, a graduate research assistant in the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, according to the UA website. Daniels is replacing Jesse Hargrove, whose term expired.
Daniels’ term will expire in January 2032, Wood’s in January 2026 and Chesterfield’s in January 2028, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
They are among numerous appointments announced by Sanders on Friday. Others included:
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- Dr. Jason Williams, Little Rock, to the Arkansas Early Childhood Commission. Term to expire June 30, 2027. Replaces Elizabeth Waldrum.
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- Sam Russell, Bentonville, to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Term to expire January 14, 2027. Replaces John Schmelzle.
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- Blake Flemister, Little Rock, to the Arkansas Ethics Commission. Term to expire December 31, 2026. Previously vacant position.
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- Bailey Taylor, Little Rock, to the Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact Commission. Previously vacant position.
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- Tracey Rancifer-Rittlemeyer, Little Rock, to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission. Term to expire December 31, 2027. Replaces Tony Moore.
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- Dr. Kenneth Bruce Jones, Jonesboro, to the Arkansas State Medical Board. Term to expire December 31, 2030. Replaces Dr. John Scribner.
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- Dr. Josh Roller, Fayetteville, to the Arkansas State Medical Board. Term to expire December 31, 2030. Previously vacant position.
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- Rep. Bruce Cozart, Hot Springs, to the Board of Control for Southern Regional Education. Term to expire June 30, 2028. Replaces Rep. Brian Evans.
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- Larry Walther, Little Rock, to the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System. Term to expire March 9, 2031. Replaces Candace Franks.
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- Carole Farmer, Fayetteville, to the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas State University System. Term to expire January 14, 2032. Replaces Christy Clark.
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- Len Cotton, Dardanelle, to the Board of Trustees of Arkansas Tech University. Term to expire January 14, 2030. Reappointment.
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- Kay Hinkle, Conway, to the Board of Trustees of the University of Central Arkansas. Term to expire January 14, 2032. Reappointment.
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- Iverson Jackson, Little Rock, to the Board of Trustees of Southern Arkansas University. Term to expire January 14, 2030. Replaces Laura Winning.
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- David Sloan, Rogers, to the Contractors Licensing Board. Term to expire December 31, 2027. Replaces Billy Carney.
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- Matthew McKinley Stewart, Shirley, to the Contractors Licensing Board. Term to expire December 31, 2027. Replaces Matthew Cashion.
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- Stephen Forsgren, Fort Smith, to the Contractors Licensing Board. Term to expire December 31, 2029. Reappointment.
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- June Wood, Fayetteville, to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission. Term to expire September 1, 2028. Replaces Derek Scott.
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- Kenneth “Muskie” Harris, Little Rock, to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission. Term to expire September 1, 2026. Replaces Gerald Canada.
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- Steve Deere, Benton, to the War Memorial Stadium Commission. Term to expire January 14, 2032. Replaces Daryl Coker.