Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed Bruce Holland, a former state senator, as executive director of the Arkansas Natural Resources Commision. Holland replaces long-time director Randy Young, who is retiring. The pays $112,755 per year.

Holland had been executive director of the Arkansas Livestock & Poultry Commission since January of 2015, when Hutchinson appointed him as part of the parade of Republican politicians who nabbed state jobs after losing campaigns. Holland lost his senate seat after Sen. Terry Rice challenged him in the 2014 primary, attacking him for supporting the private option Medicaid expansion

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Gov. Hutchinson issued the following statement:

Randy Young has dedicated more than four decades of his life to serving with the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. It’s an honor to recognize and thank Director Young for his leadership and his commitment to preserve the state’s natural resources for the future. His steadfast devotion to the ANRC for the past 45 years will be missed. However, Randy and I are confident in Bruce Holland’s future leadership of the ANRC.

Bruce’s professional background, along with his past experience in the Arkansas legislature, makes him an ideal fit as the new Director of the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. I am confident that Bruce will do an excellent job leading the efforts of the ANRC, striving to protect the natural wealth of our state.

Holland’s statement: 

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Governor Hutchinson continues to show unprecedented leadership in so many important areas for Arkansas. Participating in his administration is a service that gives me extreme personal pride, and I look forward to ensuring that the ANRC continues to build upon the contributions that Randy Young has devoted his career to. Proper management of our state’s natural resources is a critical element for future economic development, higher paying jobs and quality of life improvements for Arkansans.

And Young’s: 

It has been an honor of a lifetime to be a part of the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission family over the last 45 years. I am truly grateful for the relationships I made during my time with the ANRC. As I head into retirement, I can rest easy knowing that the ANRC is in capable hands. I am confident that Bruce is the best person to lead the commission forward in the years to come. His experience as Director of the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission and Chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee suit him perfectly to lead the ANRC as they seek to manage Arkansas’s natural resources to ensure that our state remains a great place to live for generations to come.

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