Creation of 2 jobs get’s panel’s OK

The Joint Budget Committee on Thursday approved Arkansas State University’s request to create a dean of veterinary medicine post with a maximum-authorized salary of $350,000 a year as well as the state Department of Commerce’s request to create the state’s chief workforce officer position with a pay range of $149,862 to $181,500 a year, retroactive to Feb. 9.

Arkansas State University Executive Vice Chancellor Len Frey said in a letter dated Feb. 15 to state Division of Higher Education Director Maria Markham that a dean of veterinary medicine is needed for ASU to implement a College of Veterinary Medicine, which is needed to meet the demand for veterinarians in Arkansas and the national shortage.

The state Department of Commerce requested the creation of a post for the state’s chief workforce officer to coordinate, manage and direct Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ workforce development policies and career education strategy for the state, Department of Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald said in a letter dated Feb. 9 to the state’s personnel administrator, Kay Barnhill.

On Feb. 9, Sanders announced the creation of a new workforce cabinet that will advise her on how to best spend public dollars to train and educate Arkansans for their careers, and that Mike Rogers, senior director of maintenance and refrigeration at Tyson Foods, will serve as the governor’s chief workforce officer. Rogers’ base salary is $167,000 a year, retroactive to Feb. 9, said Department of Commerce Chief of Staff Jim Hudson.