LR MAYOR names senior adviser to staff.
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. has named Kendra Pruitt, an attorney who worked on his campaign, as his senior adviser.
Pruitt is the first permanent hire to be announced in Scott’s administration.
“I’m excited to have her join the team,” the mayor wrote in a tweet Friday afternoon.
The position of senior adviser was previously known as assistant to the mayor.
Pruitt, 30, worked for the Mitchell Williams law firm for more than five years, practicing in the areas of multistate regulated business and governmental relations, according to her LinkedIn page. She has been serving as a volunteer adviser for Scott’s transition into office.
She will be paid $82,500 annually.
A total of 265 people applied for the position, according to city records. As of last week, the job was advertised as having a salary of $54,889 to $81,449.
According to a description of the job on the city website, Pruitt’s responsibilities include conducting research and data analysis for the mayor’s office; developing reports and recommendations; writing speeches and communication materials; reviewing incoming correspondence, inquiries and complaints addressed to the mayor; and serving as the liaison for the Mayor’s Youth Council.
The senior adviser position is at-will, meaning the person who fills it can be let go at any time for any reason and cannot appeal the termination.
Scott said he will also name a chief of staff and an executive assistant in the coming days.
His predecessor, Mark Stodola, also had a chief of staff and two assistants. The assistant position now filled by Pruitt had a salary of $51,176 in 2018, according to the Democratonline salary database.
Scott changed the name of his second assistant’s position to executive assistant from administrative assistant.
The city has also created a temporary position at Scott’s request to assist with his transition into office, he said. Stodola’s chief of staff, Phyllis Dickerson, is currently employed by the city in a part-time role that will last a total of 90 days. Her pay rate wasn’t available from the city on Friday.
Other advisers assisting with the transition — Rep. Charles Blake, D-Little Rock, Harriett Phillips and Bryan Day — are doing so in a volunteer capacity.
Scott took office Jan. 1. His swearing-in marked Little Rock’s first transition of power in 12 years, and the first since voters approved an ordinance making the mayor a full-time position with additional powers.