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Director Kane Webb to Leave Parks & Tourism for Walmart Post

4 min read

Kane Webb, executive director of the state Department of Parks and Tourism, is leaving the agency at the end of year, according to an email sent to staff on Wednesday.

Webb, appointed to lead the agency by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in October 2015, is joining Walmart Inc. of Bentonville as director of executive communications.

In an email to staff obtained by Arkansas Business, Webb called the Walmart job “a great opportunity for me, and one I cannot pass up at this stage in my life.

“But that doesn’t make it an easy decision; this agency is something special,” Webb wrote. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together and what I know you all will accomplish moving forward.”

Webb said department CFO Cynthia Dunlap will step into the executive director’s role after he leaves. In a statement, Hutchinson said Dunlap, a 14-year veteran of the department, had been appointed on an interim basis.

“Kane has been a wonderful staffer, director, adviser, and friend over the course of the past four years,” the governor said in a news release. “As director of Parks and Tourism, he led the agency to new heights and successfully managed the 2017 War Memorial Stadium merger into Parks and Tourism. He is a true talent, and I wish him the best of luck in his new position.” 

Webb was not immediately available for comment. In a statement issued by the governor’s office, he lauded his co-workers in the department.

“You won’t find a better, more devoted group of public servants than those at Parks and Tourism, and it is in excellent hands at every level,” he said. “ADPT will never have a bigger advocate than me.”

Webb’s departure comes as the governor proposes a reorganization of state government, outlining a plan that would cut the number of cabinet-level agencies from 42 to 15. The organization would include adding the Department of Arkansas Heritage to the the parks and tourism department, creating the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.

The governor announced details of the plan, which requires legislative approval, in October.

As executive director, Webb, an Arkansas newspaper and magazine veteran, succeeded long-time director Richard Davies, who retired. Webb earned a salary of $137,094. 

Before leading parks and tourism, Webb was a senior adviser to Hutchinson, overseeing the governor’s written material, working as a communications aide and working on special projects.

A former journalist, Webb was born in Hot Springs, grew up in Little Rock and spent roughly 30 years in journalism, almost all of it in Arkansas. He got his start as a sportswriter for the Arkansas Democrat, served as editor for several publications including Arkansas Life and Louisville magazine and also worked in New Orleans and Minneapolis. Before joining the governor’s office, he was a member of the editorial page of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Webb is a former editor at Arkansas Business and taught for a year at Little Rock’s Catholic High School for Boys.

In a statement, Dunlap said she was honored to take on the job as interim director.

“I am humbled by the confidence that has been shown in me by Governor Hutchinson and our current director, Kane Webb,” she said. “Working for Parks and Tourism has been the highlight of my professional career. There’s nothing more rewarding than working with a group of people who feel more like family than co-workers. I truly believe Parks and Tourism is one of, if not the best, agency for which anyone with a heart to serve the public could work.”

Dunlap joined the department in November of 2004. Before that, she spent more than 23 years at Alltel Corp. of Little Rock as staff manager over various accounting departments. 

Webb’s Email to Staff

Webb wrote this email to staffers announcing his departure at the end of the year:

“This is a difficult email to write – and all of you have made it that way. That’s because you are a remarkable group of people who do amazing things, and it has been my privilege to work with you. But I am stepping down as executive director at ADPT and accepting a job as Director of Executive Communications at Walmart, which I’ll start after the new year. It’s a great opportunity for me, and one I cannot pass up at this stage of my life.

“But that doesn’t make it an easy decision; this agency is something special. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together and what I know you all will accomplish moving forward. I’m especially pleased to tell you that Cynthia Dunlap will be stepping into my role when I leave at the end of the year. As you all know, they don’t come any better than Cynthia, who as our CFO, tackles one of the toughest jobs at the agency. She is a rock star and more than ready for this challenge.

“I’ll be here through the end of the year, which is fast approaching. If I don’t get the chance to say goodbye in person before then, please know that it has been an honor and privilege to work with you all.

“Stay in touch and keep up the great work. And thank you thank you thank you for what you do for the State of Arkansas.”

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