LR mayor’s communications chief since 2019 resigns

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr.’s communications director has resigned from her part-time city job, effective Monday.

Stephanie Jackson had served as Scott’s chief spokeswoman for just under three years following his January 2019 inauguration after working with his campaign team.

“Director of Communications Stephanie Jackson resigned her position with the City of Little Rock effective Jan. 3,” Scott said Tuesday in a statement provided by Little Rock spokesman Spencer Watson. “I am forever grateful for her leadership through crises and her willingness to serve the residents of Little Rock.”

An automatic email reply from Jackson on Tuesday said she was no longer with the city and directed communications requests to Watson or Scott’s executive assistant, Bridgitte Newson.

Jackson did not return a voicemail requesting comment Tuesday.

An Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request that asked for a resignation letter from Jackson along with any accompanying Human Resources Department documentation of the end of her city employment had not been fulfilled by Tuesday evening.

Jackson was hired at $40 an hour in the part-time job in February 2019, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

While handling communications on behalf of the mayor, Jackson simultaneously held another position at a local public relations and marketing agency, The Design Group.

As of last summer, Jackson served as director of public and media relations for The Design Group. Her husband, Myron Jackson, also works for the firm as chief executive officer.

On at least two occasions, The Design Group became intermingled with the city’s public-affairs operations.

In 2019, Little Rock tapped The Design Group to produce a lengthy “critical-incident” video that strung together video and audio recordings related to the Feb. 22, 2019, fatal shooting of 30-year-old Bradley Blackshire by then-officer Charles Starks.

The Design Group was paid $4,990 to produce the video, the Democrat-Gazette reported in 2019. The sum fell below the city’s limit that requires purchases at or above $5,000 to go out for competitive bid, absent a waiver.

Two years later, during the credits of Scott’s March 25, 2021, virtual State of the City broadcast, The Design Group was credited with “art direction and design.” Jackson was identified in the credits as the broadcast’s executive producer.

Jackson later said the firm was not paid for its work on the virtual event.

Asked about the firm’s involvement at the time, Jackson told the Democrat-Gazette that she is “very careful and very thoughtful about what I do for the city of Little Rock.”