‘Unhappy’ with job, state archives director resigns

Lisa Speer resigned as director of the state archives at the end of the workday Tuesday, effective immediately, 19 months after the agency was absorbed by the Department of Arkansas Heritage, a department spokesman said Wednesday.

Speer’s “resignation was her decision. There was no request to do so from DAH [ Department of Arkansas Heritage],” spokesman Melissa Whitfield said in a written statement.

“She indicated that she was unhappy with elements of her job that she felt she had no power to change,” Whitfield said when asked what reason Speer gave.

Several attempts by telephone and email to reach Speer for comment Wednesday afternoon were unsuccessful. Speer’s salary was $89,636 a year, according to the Arkansas Transparency website.

Speer started as the director of what was then called the state History Commission in June 2013. She was retained by Arkansas Heritage Director Stacy Hurst in July 2016 when the department took over the smaller agency from the Department of Parks and Tourism under a bill approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Speer previously was director of special collections and archives for Southeast Missouri State University’s Kent Library from 2001-13. She also worked at libraries at the University of Mississippi and the University of Alabama.

Hutchinson spokesman J.R. Davis said the governor “was made aware after the fact” that Speer resigned on her own.

“He didn’t have anything to do with her resignation,”

Davis said.

Tom Dillard, treasurer of the Friends of the Arkansas State Archives group, said the archives should be removed from the Department of Arkansas Heritage if Hurst continues to be its director because Hurst “is totally unsympathetic to the mission of preserving our heritage.”

The department has been “killing” the state archives “bite by bite,” Dillard said.

Hurst “sees herself as the governor’s hatchetman,” eliminating positions so Hutchinson can say he is cutting state government, Dillard said. He said he was speaking on his own behalf because his group has not met to discuss the matter.

In response, Hurst said in a written statement that Dillard was the department’s director from 1981 until 1986, and “he clearly still has thoughts on how things should be run.”

“But the reality is that DAH is stronger than ever before, as is the Arkansas State Archives. Since joining DAH in 2016, the Archives has access to resources that it has not enjoyed before, such as conservation tax revenue. DAH has helped ASA market and promote its services and programming to a broader audience. ASA has worked with other DAH divisions, such as Historic Arkansas Museum, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and Old State House Museum, in presenting public programming. The Archives is becoming a more accessible resource for all Arkansans,” she said.

Speer’s departure was first reported by the Arkansas Times blog Wednesday morning.

Three members of the seven-member History Commission said they were surprised about Speer’s resignation.

Commission Chairman Mary Dillard of Malvern — who is Tom Dillard’s wife — said she suspected that Speer “got fed up” under the department’s management.

The department re-categorized Speer’s position so she would be eligible for a lower salary and the agency made it difficult for her to fill certain positions, Mary Dillard said.

Whitfield said the archives had 22 filled full-time positions and three filled extra-help positions in July 2016, the same as now.

“We are currently working to fill 2 vacant full-time positions. When those are filled, ASA will have more employees than it did in July 2016,” she said.

The archives’ budget totaled $2.05 million in fiscal 2016 and dropped to $ 1.93 million in fiscal 2017, before increasing to $2.29 million in fiscal 2018, which started July 1, 2017, according to figures provided by Whitfield.

Whitfield said the department didn’t lower Speer’s salary. Speer received a raise from $88,749 to $89,636 when the state’s new pay plan took effect in July, said Department of Finance and Administration spokesman Scott Hardin.

Speer’s title converted to an Arkansas Heritage agency director G11 position from a Parks and Tourism Department History Commission director G13 position when the archives were transferred, Whitfield said. The maximum authorized salary for a G11 position is $90,669 a year compared with $112,899 a year for a G13 position, said Tony Robinson, personnel review administrator for the Bureau of Legislative Research.

History Commission member Robert McCarley of Little Rock said of Speer’s departure, “I was totally surprised. I thought everything was fine rolling along. Obviously it wasn’t.”

Commissioner Elizabeth Robbins of Hot Springs said, “I really don’t know what prompted this. I do know we have been lucky to have her. She has done an outstanding job.”

Commissioner Jason B. Hendren of Bentonville said he has attended two commission meetings and he saw no indication of any problems.

“I really don’t know what prompted this. I do know we have been lucky to have her. She has done an outstanding job.” — Elizabeth Robbins, Commissioner, Hot Springs, on Lisa Speer’s resignation