Fowler resigns post at police commission
‘Worn out,’ says departing chairman
Arkansas State Police Commission Chairman Wallace Fowler resigned from the position last week, less than one month after the group chose him to replace the departing Daniel “Woody” Futrell as its leader.
Fowler, 79, cited exhaustion and a desire to travel and spend more time with his family. Former Gov. Mike Beebe appointed Fowler, the former CEO of Liberty Bank of Arkansas, to the commission in 2009.
State police spokesman Bill Sadler said Vice Chairman Frank Guinn Jr., a commission member since 1996, will replace Fowler until the seven-person group votes on a new chairman in January 2016.
The commission serves as an oversight body to the state’s largest law enforcement agency, approving the director’s recommendations for promotions, hirings and firings. Commissioners and the director are appointed by the governor.
Fowler, of the multimillion-dollar restaurant franchiser Fowler Foods Inc., submitted his resignation Friday to recently appointed state police Director Col. Bill Bryant.
“I’m worn out,” Fowler
The Little Rock-based Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services plans to break ground said Tuesday. “I’ve enjoyed my five years and thought about this the last 90 days. It makes no difference who the governor is or anything like this. I’m worn out. As I told the colonel when I resigned, I’ve heard nothing but great things about him and what he’s done. I’d like to have the opportunity to get to know him better, but it’s time for me to step aside.”
The commission voted Fowler as its chairman Jan. 7 at a monthly meeting he did not attend. Fowler missed four of the meetings last year.
“I don’t need to miss any more if I’m going to be a member,” he said Tuesday.
Bryant, a former longtime U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration official, said in a statement Tuesday that he’d been looking forward to working alongside Fowler. In addition to being a major financial donor to Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas, Fowler has given to the Arkansas State Police Foundation. The organization, of which Fowler is a board member, funds additional training and equipment for state police and supports local law enforcement on a $10 million headquarters by April.
The new building will be constructed on the current campus at Eighth and South Ringo streets. The core of the building will be a weatherproofed bunker that will secure the agency’s communications and infrastructure technology. Weather sometimes affects those areas now, Director Jon Swanson said.
“We’ve been in our current headquarters building for more than 20 years. In that time we have more than doubled — almost tripled — the size of our company in terms of number of employees, call volume and even service area. We have significantly outgrown this facility,” Swanson said.
The building will be about 38,000 square feet and two stories. The agency doesn’t receive public funding, but rather operates from service revenue.
MEMS serves all of Pulaski County except Jacksonville, all of Grant and Faulkner counties, and the Cabot area — in all, about 525,000 residents and 21,000 square miles. programs on safe driving, child safety and drug task force awareness.
“Before being sworn in as state police director I learned of the remarkable record of public service commissioner Fowler had established by not only giving of his time and leadership on the state police commission, but his generosity to the Arkansas State Police Foundation,” Bryant said. “His professional experience and love of the Arkansas State Police will long be remembered.”
Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed retired Benton County sheriff’s Deputy Neff Basore of Bella Vista to the commission after Futrell left in December. Futrell, the 75-year-old grandson of state police founder and Arkansas Gov. Junius Marion Futrell, was the longest-serving commissioner in state police history. He sat on the commission more than 22 years.
Fowler of Jonesboro said Futrell was among the “very dedicated group of individuals” he worked with and befriended at the state police agency. “I really enjoyed it,” he said. “Wallace Fowler served with distinction, and his presence on the Arkansas State Police Commission will be missed,” Hutchinson said in a statement. “We appreciate his service on the commission and his service to the state of Arkansas.”
Guinn’s first commission meeting as interim chairman will be Feb. 12.