Ex-lawmaker takes job with Little Rock’s mayor

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. has named Charles Blake, the former top Democrat in the Arkansas House, as his chief of staff.

Blake, 36, resigned from the House effective Friday. He served as the mayor’s campaign manager and as an adviser to the board of directors for a team assisting Scott’s transition into office.

Scott said the former representative is a “loyal confidant” whose entrepreneurial background will help make City Hall run more smoothly.

“He has a reputation for building bridges with all people. He’s a strategic mind and has strategic management skills that will help City Hall run efficiently as possible,” Scott told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Friday.

Blake will be paid $95,000 annually and starts Monday. The former minority leader said he was excited about the opportunity.

“I have a role where I can still provide a public service to my constituents that I was serving in the House,” he said.

He will join two others on Scott’s staff who were key figures in Scott’s campaign for the mayor’s office. Senior adviser Kendra Pruitt was an adviser on Scott’s campaign; Stephanie Jackson, the mayor’s communications director, coordinated media operations for the campaign.

Former Mayor Mark Stodola also had two assistants — Scott has renamed one of the assistant roles as senior adviser — and a chief of staff. Phyllis Dickerson, Stodola’s chief of staff, was paid $90,997.

The chief of staff coordinates the day-to-day operations of the mayor’s office, performs research and analysis on community and constituent issues, and provides professional support in implementing special programs and initiatives, according to the job listing on the city’s website.

Blake said he looked forward to raising the level of customer service at City Hall — taking on a “Chik-fil-A mentality,” he quipped, referring to the chain’s speedy service.

“We have to see citizens as our bosses, make sure their experience with city government is a top class experience,” he said.

The position of Scott’s chief of staff was advertised on the city’s website from Dec. 17 to Jan. 8, according to the website and staff emails.

Forty-two applications for the position were provided to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette under an Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request in January; there wasn’t one from Blake.

A new request for communications among city officials and staff members about the position had not been filled Friday.

Blake