Senate OKs pick for Delta agency

Caldwell ready to get started

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Chris Caldwell to lead the Delta Regional Authority.

The Little Rock Republican was one of about 30 nominees who sailed through the Senate late Thursday.

Created in 2000 with the support of President Bill Clinton, the Delta authority covers parts of seven states along the Mississippi River plus Alabama, and encompasses 252 counties and parishes, many of them with high rates of poverty.

Committed to improving the region’s economy, the authority has offices in Clarksdale, Miss., and Washington, D.C.

Caldwell, 39, is director of special projects for U.S. Sen. John Boozman and managed Boozman’s successful 2016 re-election campaign.

In September, President Donald Trump selected him to serve as the authority’s federal co-chairman, the top post.

Caldwell found out that Thursday’s vote was imminent while hunting for Christmas gifts at the Bass Pro Shops.

“Sen. Boozman called me and said, ‘Hey, better turn on C-SPAN. It’s fixin’ to happen,’” Caldwell said Friday.

The seventh-generation Arkansan cut short his shopping and raced home, arriving just in time to watch the proceedings with his wife.

“I made it with about five minutes to spare,” he said.

As soon as Trump signs the official presidential commission, Caldwell can get to work.

“It’s just a huge honor to get to work in the administration and be given this opportunity,” he said. “I am so excited to get started, to help and get to work doing everything that I can to help improve the Delta region.”

In a news release, Boozman predicted Caldwell will be a successful leader.

“He’s a tenacious, committed public servant who has a strong sense of duty to the region. He understands what it takes to bring economic growth to our communities and will excel in this role. I truly believe that great things are in store for the entire Delta region with Chris at the helm of the [Delta Regional Authority],” he said.

Caldwell is a 2001 University of Arkansas graduate who worked on then-U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson’s unsuccessful re-election campaign in 2002.

Five years later, he joined former Gov. Mike Huckabee’s presidential campaign, driving the candidate around Iowa and serving as his field director in South Carolina.

He helped Boozman, then a U.S. representative, unseat incumbent Blanche Lincoln in the 2010 Senate race, working as his political director.

Six years later, Caldwell oversaw the entire campaign.

He’ll be the second consecutive Arkansan to hold the top Delta authority post. Democrat Chris Masingill of Little Rock held the job during President Barack Obama’s administration.

In March, the White House Office of Management and Budget suggested eliminating the authority and 18 other independent agencies as part of a cost-cutting move.

The proposal stalled after encountering strong opposition from Boozman and several other lawmakers who represent the Delta.

The position, which pays $172,100 per year, has been vacant since late July.

Thursday’s vote was “a great moment for the 252 counties” served by the authority, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a written statement.

Caldwell “knows the issues that matter. His experience in the trenches with Senator Boozman has equipped him to address those issues,” Hutchinson said.

“I congratulate Chris for his confirmation. Great days are ahead for the Delta.”