AAC
Family & Friends
County Lines Magazine
County Lines is the official publication of the Association of Arkansas Counties. It is published quarterly. For advertising inquiries, subscriptions or other information relating to the magazine, please contact Christy L. Smith or Scott Perkins at 501.372.7550. Executive Director / Publisher Chris Villines Communications Director/ Managing Editor Scott Perkins Communications coordinator/ Editor Christy L. Smith
AAC Executive Board: Judy Beth Hutcherson – President Debbie Wise – Vice President Bear Chaney – Secretary-Treasurer Sherry Bell Debra Buckner Cindy Walker Brandon Ellison Andrea Billingsley Jimmy Hart John Montgomery Patrick Moore Rhonda Cole Joe Gillenwater David Thompson Bill Hollenbeck Will Jones Debbie Cross National Association of Counties (NACo) Board Affiliations Ted Harden: Finance & Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee. He serves on the Jefferson County Quorum Court.
David Hudson: Vice Chair of NACo’s Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee. He is the Sebastian County Judge and member of the Rural Action Caucus Steering Committee.
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AAC: Being resilient in the face of change
Director’s Desk
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Chris Villines any times this magazine covers AAC change in county government. Executive Director Sometimes these changes impact us very little at the Association, but there are times like these when the changes loom much larger. This is one of those latter times. Being an officer on the AAC Board of Directors is an honorable position. It means that you have ascended as a leader and both your peers and also a statewide network recognize your ability. It is no surprise that Judy Beth Hutcherson, the Clark County Treasurer and new president of the Association of Arkansas Counties, has arrived at this point. The same can be said for our newly elected Vice President Debbie Wise, Randolph County Circuit Clerk. And let’s not forget that Bear Chaney, former Benton County Assessor, was elected as secretary/treasurer to our board a couple weeks before he accepted the Assessment Coordination Department director position. These individuals are leaders and advocates for great county government. Congratulations to a deserving group. They are to be commended for being elected locally, within their associations, and now on a statewide platform to help lead us forward. They will do a tremendous job representing all of you in county government as we press on. But as Madame President Hutcherson said, “The shoes to be filled are enormous.” I could fill volumes of magazines with the experiences Mike Jacobs, former AAC president and Johnson County Judge, and Roger Haney, former Washington County Treasurer and AAC vice president, have had in county government, and even more in their roles as committee members for the National Association of Counties. They have served their counties well, the state of Arkansas and counties across the nation. Jacobs has not only impacted Johnson County in a very positive manner during his 24 years as county judge, but he has also helped guide AAC through a coming of age during the last 15 years as association president. His fingerprint on AAC will be long lasting. Thank you, Judge Jacobs. You are our sunshine. Haney, who served as Washington County Treasurer for 36 years before his retirement, has been a calm and stable board of director officer for
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