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CJRW Loses Clinton Library, Foundation Account

2 min read

Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods confirmed Wednesday that it has lost what agency SVP Richard McKeown called a significant account, that of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center.

CJRW CEO Wayne Woods noted in a statement that the Little Rock agency had been associated with Bill Clinton since 1964.

Arkansas Business reported earlier this week that Jordan Johnson and Rebecca Tennille, who had represented the account while with CJRW, had left the agency. Tennille told Arkansas Business last week that she remained the contact for the Clinton Foundation and Library, both a part of the Clinton Presidential Center. Tennille said Wednesday morning that she had nothing to add to her statement of last week.

Clinton was in Little Rock on Wednesday to speak in support of President Obama’s Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act. His remarks were scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and can be seen at ClintonFoundation.org.

McKeown, who also is CJRW’s chief public relations officer, declined to say how much the account was worth to the agency, only calling it “significant.”

He released the following statement from Woods:

“We were officially notified in a letter received by U.S. Mail from Stephanie Streett on Friday, August 30 that effective August 31, we would no longer be representing the William J. Clinton Presidential Center. Naturally, we were disappointed to receive her letter. It has been our privilege to support the Center during its planning, construction, opening and its operations since. That support was a continuation of an on-going association with President Clinton that began in 1964. We remain committed to the William J. Clinton Presidential Center success and are prepared to lend it our support moving forward.”

CJRW has enjoyed a long run with Clinton, both in political connections and through its stature in the state’s tourism industry. Skip Rutherford, a long-time Clinton confidante who spearheaded efforts to build and fund the library, worked for 13 years at CJRW. He left the firm in 2006 to be dean of the Clinton School of Public Service, where he still works. 

McKeown joined CJRW as SVP and chief public relations officer in July. McKeown is not new to the agency; he worked at CJRW from 1985 to 1999 before establishing his own communications consulting firm.

At the time, the agency noted that Johnson and Denver Peacock, both senior vice presidents of public affairs, would now be co-leading the agency’s public affairs division.

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