AAC Board Profile: Selena Blair

AAC BOARD PROFILE

Selena Blair

Columbia County Treasurer

The newest addition to the Association of Arkansas Counties’ Board of Directors, Columbia County Treasurer Selena Blair, has close ties to county government. Her late fatherin-law, John Blair, was a Columbia County judge. Her mother-in-law, Marjie Blair, was a long-time Columbia County justice of the peace.

Blair was born on a military base in Fort Ord, California, but lived there for only two weeks until her father was deployed to Vietnam. She and her mother moved back to Arkansas and lived with one of her aunts until her dad came home two years later. Blair was raised in Magnolia.

These days she lives on what she calls the “Blair Compound” with her family in McNeill. She credits her late father-in-law for encouraging her to run for office after the previous treasurer retired. He knew her knowledge of accounting and previous work experience in a non-profit would make her a perfect fit for the office.

John Blair helped her navigate the questions she had about county government and the politics involved with running for office. Blair was successfully elected in 2014 and took office in 2015.

“I already worked at a non-profit agency, and I had an accounting degree, and it just seemed like the perfect opportunity and a different way to serve my community,” Blair said.

Blair has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Southern Arkansas University, from which she graduated summa cum laude. Before running for treasurer, she worked for the Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District for 12 years. There she was an accountant and a compliance specialist for the Workforce Investment Act, which afforded her the opportunity to also work on the programming side of the company.

Blair recently was elected by her peers to serve as president of the Arkansas County Treasurers’ Association and to represent the county treasurers on the AAC Board of Directors. She previously served as vice president of the Treasurer’s Association for four years and then sat on the Treasurers’ Continuing Education Board for two years.

“It’s a great way to network and not only do things for my county but for the state as a whole,” she said.

Blair said she is looking forward to being a part of the AAC Board of Directors. She said she is excited to see the overall picture of where the AAC and the state of Arkansas are headed in the next 10 years — and to be a part of that change and help direct that path.

Blair’s family ties run deep. Married for 30 years this year, she and her husband Kelly have two sons, Mark and Caleb, as well as a grandson, Hayden. She called her sons and her grandson her greatest accomplishments in life thus far. She had many great things to say about her mother-in-law, as well.

“She is so well rounded,” Blair said. “She has the best spiritual outlook, very supportive of her family, loving and kind, hard worker, very disciplined, and inspires greatness in others.”

Marjie Blair owns her own consulting company, keeps the grounds at church, and she cooks dinner for everyone on Sundays. She is a force to be reckoned with, and Blair admires her greatly.

Blair said she lives on the 300- acre family “compound” with many members of her immediate family as well as many members of her extended family.

“We just all take care of each other,” she said.

Blair stays busy with many different hobbies. When she is not working, she makes quilts, crochets, sews, and gardens. She also spends a lot of time playing with her 17-month-old grandson.

“He’s a lot of fun,” she says.

She also enjoys deer hunting. So, it sounds like Selena Blair is a force to be reckoned with like her mother-in-law.