15 minute read
AAC staff profiles
Communications Coordinator — Christy L. Smith
Family information: I am engaged to marry a wonderful man, Jon, in September. I will be stepmother to Lucas, 14, and Alli, 12. My contribution to our little family is Casey, a black lab-mix that I adopted almost two years ago.
My favorite meal: There is no easy answer to this question because I love food, and I love cooking. I like to experiment with ethnic dishes. Indian food is a favorite, and I have a paella pan I need to test.
When I’m not working I’m: I spend a lot of time outside. I like to run, hike and camp. My dog has plenty of energy, so we visit the dog park often. He likes to play ball and swim in the Arkansas River.
The accomplishment of which I am most
proud: All the experiences I’ve had, whether good or bad, and all the people I’ve known, either briefly or long term, have shown me that life is too short for regrets. I’ve learned to seize the moment, love deeply, show compassion and make the most of the time I have here. I’m proud to have come to that realization so early.
The hardest thing I have ever done: Rebuild my life after a sudden and unexpected divorce.
At the top of my bucket list is to: I’ve checked off quite a few things on my list – visiting Ireland, working in Africa, white water rafting, sky diving, running the Grand Canyon Half Marathon. I would love to eat my way around Spain, and then take the ferry down to Morocco and visit the markets.
You might be surprised to learn that: I spent three months living in rural Kenya, where I documented the life stories of women who were HIV-positive.
My pet peeve is: Grammar errors. Christy L. Smith Motto or favorite quote: “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” — Maya Angelou
Law Clerk — Kevin Liang
Family information: I’m an only child.
My favorite meal: Boiled crawfish, corn, potatoes and sausage.
When I’m not working I’m: Spending time with friends.
The accomplishment of which I am most
proud: Teaching English for two years in southern Arkansas with Teach for America.
The hardest thing I have ever done:
Teaching summer school in Indianola, Mississippi. Kevin Liang
At the top of my bucket list is to:
Visit every continent.
You might be surprised to learn that: I am a commission painter.
My pet peeve is: It’s a tie between saggy pants and people who don’t use turn signals.
Motto or favorite quote: “No time left now for shame, horizon behind me, no more pain. Windswept stars blink and smile, another song, another mile.” — The Black Crowes.
75 Counties - One Voice
Worker’s Compensation Fund pays $1 million in dividends to its member counties in 2014
The Association of Arkansas Counties Workers’ Compensation Trust is proud to announce that for the 18th straight year dividends will be returned to all participating counties. The 2014 dividend is declared based on 2010 premiums paid and losses incurred. This brings the total dividends paid over the last 18 years to $24,698,953.
AAC Workers’ Compensation Trust Group Manager Chris Villines recommended the $1,000,000 dividend to the board of trustees at its June meeting. Checks were issued in August.
“There are several reasons that we are able to continue returning such large sums to the counties,” Villines said. “Our staff is excellent and efficient and the counties of Arkansas work hard to minimize risks at home. I cannot compliment our Risk Services Manager Debbie Norman enough. She has an incredible responsibility and handles it wonderfully. The Workers’ Comp staff is equally adept. Debbie Lakey, Kim Nash, Elizabeth Sullivan, Barry Burkett, and Kim Mitchell do an excellent job.”
AAC Risk Management and Insurance Director Debbie Norman said, “From inception to today, this program has performed beyond expectations. It has always been our goal to reward counties with dividends, and this is the 18th straight year that successful management of the program and the commitment to safety in our counties has allowed it to occur.”
AAC, along with county officials from around the state, created the AAC Workers’ Compensation Trust in 1985 – a plan to pool resources and form a self-funded, county-owned trust to provide premium Workers’ Compensation coverage at a savings to members. The AAC Workers’ Compensation Trust is fully regulated by the State of Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission. Current trustees are Chairman Mike Jacobs, Johnson County Judge; Roger Haney, Washington County Treasurer; Judy Beth Hutcherson, Clark County Treasurer; Debra Buckner, Pulaski County Treasurer; and Jim Keasler, Lee County Judge.
Here are the formulaic dividend amounts per county as approved by the AAC/WCT board:
Arkansas County................................$12,140 Ashley County......................................$8,017 Baxter County....................................$17,560 Benton County...................................$29,958 Boone County....................................$15,106 Bradley County.....................................$7,558 Calhoun County...................................$8,436 Carroll County...................................$10,553 Chicot County......................................$6,850 Clark County......................................$16,638 Clay County.......................................$11,313 Cleburne County................................$13,858 Cleveland County.................................$8,370 Columbia County..............................$11,528 Conway County.................................$11,511 Craighead County..............................$38,742 Crawford County...............................$22,682 Crittenden County..................................$500 Cross County......................................$12,369 Dallas County.......................................$8,182 Desha County.......................................$7,699 Drew County......................................$10,184 Faulkner County.................................$31,267 Franklin County.................................$11,244 Fulton County......................................$9,902 Garland County.................................$34,442 Grant County.....................................$10,406 Greene County...................................$10,275 Hempstead County..............................$8,374 Hot Spring County............................$11,434 Howard County....................................$9,162 Independence County........................$26,021 Izard County.........................................$8,079 Jackson County.....................................$6,283 Jefferson County.................................$31,508 Johnson County....................................$8,821 Lafayette County..................................$7,458 Lawrence County...............................$10,685 Lee County...........................................$7,918 Lincoln County....................................$7,808 Little River County..................................$500 Logan County.......................................$4,442 Lonoke County..................................$16,896 Madison County................................$10,170 Marion County...................................$10,409 Miller County.....................................$16,774 Mississippi County.............................$21,107 Monroe County....................................$6,551 Montgomery County..............................$500 Nevada County.....................................$6,338 Newton County....................................$6,077 Perry County........................................$7,974 Phillips County.....................................$9,486 Pike County..........................................$8,392 Poinsett County..................................$11,142 Polk County........................................$14,509 Pope County.......................................$17,469 Prairie County......................................$6,571 Pulaski County...................................$36,066 Randolph County...............................$11,450 Saline County.....................................$26,375 Scott County......................................$11,095 Searcy County.......................................$8,012 Sebastian County................................$30,608 Sevier County.......................................$9,789 Sharp County.....................................$12,331 St. Francis County..............................$10,407 Stone County......................................$13,518 Union County....................................$15,811 Van Buren County.............................$22,682 Washington County...........................$36,981 White County....................................$17,827 Woodruff County.................................$5,762 Yell County.........................................$15,138
75 Counties - One Voice
AAC C onferen C e » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » »
When you participate in the AAC Workers’ Compensation Trust, you can relax in the hands of professional staff members who are going to take care of your needs. The AAC team has decades of experience in handling county government claims – they’re simply the best at what they do!
Did we mention that participants in our plan are accustomed to getting money back? Since we started paying dividends in 1997, the AAC Workers’ Compensation Trust has declared almost $25 MILLION dollars in dividends, payable to members of the fund. In fact, we mailed $1,000,000 in savings back to member counties in August 2014.
The service is available for any size county government and other county government-related entities.
We’ve got you covered!
Members enjoy dividends! $25 Million paid since 1997
We’ve got you covered
Experienced & licensed examiners
Debbie Norman
Risk Management & Insurance Director 501.375.8247 Debbie Lakey
Claims Manager 501.375.8698 Kim Nash
Claims Adjuster 501.375.8805 Renee Turner
Claims Examiner 501.375.8805 Barry Burkett
Loss Control 501.375.8805 Kim Mitchell
Admin. Assistant 501.375.8805 Elizabeth Sullivan
Admin. Assistant 501.375.8805 Brandy McAllister RMS Counsel 501.375.8805
www.naco.org
About NACo – The Voice of America’s Counties
National Association of Counties (NACo) is the only national organization that represents county governments in the U.S. NACo provides essential services to the nation’s 3,068 counties. NACo advances issues with a unified voice before the federal government, improves the public’s understanding of county government, assists counties in finding and sharing innovative solutions through education and research and provides value-added services to save counties and taxpayers money.
Senators urge full economic study of critical habitat designations
U.S. Senators Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) introduced the “Private Landowner Protection Act” on July 31. Senate Bill 2729 would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to take the full economic impact of proposed critical habitat designations into account. NACo supports such legislation that would require the USFWS to perform appropriate economic analysis, prior to the designation of critical habitat, that would measure the effects of such a designation on all affected stakeholders — not just on federal agencies — and would include effects on possible uses of land and property values, employment and revenues available for state and local governments.
Last year, USFWS issued a final rule that would implement an “incremental approach” to analyzing the economic impact of critical habitat designations vs. a “quantitative analysis.” This approach would require USFWS to only consider the cost to the government of consulting on critical habitat, instead of considering costs to all stakeholders. The senators’ bill would implement a comprehensive approach, requiring consideration of the costs to agriculture producers, businesses, county and city governments and other local entities. It would also require the U.S. Department of Interior to publish the economic analysis for public comment.
House bill to stop “Waters of the U.S.” rule moves forward
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act, H.R. 5078, by a voice vote on July 16.
H.R. 5078 would prevent the administration’s proposed “Waters of the U.S.” rule from moving forward. It also would require the agencies to consult and collaborate with state and local governments on the rule development process and to document the interactions and submit the final report to Congress.
The proposed rule that prompted the introduction of H.R. 5078 — Definition of Waters of the U.S. Under the Clean Water Act — was released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) on April 21. The proposed rule amends the definition of “Waters of the U.S.” within the Clean Water Act (CWA) and expands the range of waters (and their conveyances) that would fall under federal regulatory authority. The proposed rule would impact county-owned and maintained roads and roadside ditches, flood control channels, drainage conveyances, stormwater systems, green infrastructure construction and maintenance. The public comment period for “Waters of the U.S.” is open until October 20.
President signs Veterans Access overhaul act
On August 7, President Barack Obama signed the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014. The measure reforms the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and includes changes allowing veterans to seek private care in their communities. $10 billion of the $16.3 billion agreement is allocated to allow veterans to receive care from non-VA providers if they live more than 40 miles away from a VA facility or if VA doctors cannot see them within 30 days. This authority expires after three years and payment is generally limited to Medicare rates, with exceptions for veterans living in “highly rural areas” — defined as areas located in a county that has fewer than seven individuals residing per square mile.
Besides allowing for alternate service delivery, the act provides approximately $5 billion for hiring more doctors and nurses and $2 billion for the leasing of 27 new medical facilities across the country. It also gives the VA secretary broader authority to fire or demote senior officials and limits employee bonuses. All of the funding in this measure is categorized as emergency spending, and the VA would have to rely on the annual appropriations process once these resources are depleted.
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PERMIT No. 2797
