Fort Smith starts national search for director of advertising panel

FORT SMITH — Arkansas’ second-largest city will conduct a national search for a new executive director of the Fort Smith Advertising and Promotions Commission.

This comes at a time when the city is negotiating an agreement with the private firm Oak View Group of Los Angeles to operate the Fort Smith Convention Center, which is managed by the Fort Smith Advertising and Promotions Commission. The city subsidizes the convention center with $777,000 per year from the general fund. City Director Neal Martin has described the center as a “loss leader.”

In considering whether to hire an outside firm, City Administrator Carl Geffken said last week that the city is examining what it’s done “in the past, and are there different, better ways that can provide better service, more service at the same cost, or do the same with less cost.”

Fort Smith Human Resources Director Rick Lolley said in an email that the search for a new executive director will start after the commission reviews and updates the position’s current job description as needed. The commission plans to finalize it, and establish the recruiting process, during its regular meeting July 28.

The commission will eventually review resumes of potential candidates, interview selected candidates and make the hiring decision, Lolley said.

“The commission is eager to fill the position; however, it wants to devote the necessary time to perform a comprehensive search to fill this important position,” Lolley said. “It is unclear at this time if covid-19 will restrict travel for candidates to come to Fort Smith for interviews.”

This comes after the previous executive director, Claude Legris, announced his retirement on June 23. Legris’ last day was July 10, with him having served in the position since Feb. 19, 2001, according to Lolley.

In a letter to the commission dated June 23, Legris said this was “a very thoughtful decision” for him and his family, but they felt that this was an appropriate time for his departure.

“I appreciate the opportunity to have served this important industry in Fort Smith for many years, and depart with great pride in what has been accomplished by industry friends and colleagues, but most importantly, by the dedicated professionals on the staffs of both the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Fort Smith Convention Center,” Legris said. “I leave you in good hands.”

Lolley said Carolyn Joyce, group sales manager for the Fort Smith Convention and Visitors Bureau, has taken on the role of interim director of the commission.

The current job description, which was prepared May 2017, states that the executive director administers all efforts to advertise and promote the city of Fort Smith and area under the ommission’s direction, “to benefit the tourism and travel industry and economic vitality of the city, region and state.”

The director oversees all operations of the Fort Smith Convention and Visitors Bureau, the official destination marketing organization for the city, and, by exclusive contract with the city, the Fort Smith Convention Center.

The position comes with the following essential duties and responsibilities, although the description states other duties may be assigned:

• Provide liaison for local hotel/ motel accommodations with the tourism and travel industry within the city.

• Design, manage and direct expenditure of the fiscal budget for each division, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the convention center.

• Oversee all staff in the administration of operations, program development and implementation, and marketing/sales responsibilities as relates to the mission statement.

• Directs the advertising, including needed fulfillment pieces, promotional ads, billboards, cooperative advertising programs and other advertising and promotional support, including social media.

• Seek support of the travel writers community in securing editorial promotion.

• Design and implementation of marketing/sales effort in three market group — leisure traveler, group tours, convention and meetings.

• Participate in travel shows and exchanges, educational seminars and organizational meetings.

The salary range for the Fort Smith Advertising and Promotions Commission executive director position is about $84,500 to $127,000, according to Lolley. Fort Smith Mayor George McGill serves as chairman of the commission.