Fort Smith Board of Directors Special Meeting for Internal Audit Director Interviews – August 7, 2025
Fort Smith Board of Directors Special Meeting – August 7, 2025
The Fort Smith Board of Directors held a special meeting on August 7, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. at the Blue Lion, 101 North 2nd Street, Back Room, to conduct secondary interviews with two candidates for the Director of Internal Audit position. The meeting was called by Directors Lee Kemp, Andre' Good, Jarred Rego, and Neal Martin following the July 29, 2025 study session. The Audit Advisory Committee (AAC) attended but did not participate in the executive session.
Executive Session Interviews
- James Carter – A Little Rock resident with about 20 years of audit experience, including military service, work with Arkansas Department of Human Services, and the title industry. He discussed his background in compliance audits, risk assessment using structured worksheets, and supervising audit teams. He emphasized a data-driven, mission-based approach and outlined a plan for his first 90 days starting with observation and expectation-setting.
- Amanda Strange – A CPA with nearly 18 years at Forvis Mazars (formerly BKD) in Fort Smith, focusing on external audits of commercial clients, electric cooperatives, and employee benefit plans. She expressed a desire to give back to her community and described her experience in risk assessment, project management, and staff oversight. She noted she had not been involved with the city’s external audit in a capacity that would create a conflict of interest.
Key Outcomes
- The board conducted executive session interviews with both candidates, James Carter and Amanda Strange.
- No formal action was taken on the candidates during the meeting.
- Director Lee Kemp made a motion to hold an additional executive session during the upcoming study session on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, for the purpose of discussing an offer of employment for the Director of Internal Audit position. The motion carried, and the meeting was adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
Yeah, yeah. I will take one of us. Oh, okay. That was kind of cool. That was a good one. I didn't recognize that we got everybody on notice. Oh, sorry. Thank you. No. I mean, do you I think I think we didn't operate the different things? Right. Right. Sometimes it's Congress. And I think that's a good question. Can I last the notice of community? So it's going to be that you have to meet the student. So Director Regal will not be here. Good. So we get we must say on the way. So we must start with a core. Do we have to end with a core? I would I would think so. Right. Right. That's why it doesn't have three thirds. And we can do that. I think we've got a quorum, right? See if we can. Okay. Well, that's that's this time we're gonna go ahead and call the meeting to order. Um at this special meeting on August the 7th of the year 2025. Uh keep in mind these meetings uh this meeting is being recorded for those residents who cannot be with us in person. Um Madam Clerk, if you would please call the roll. Directors Rigo here. Here George Petavis Christina Pittsabas. Here settled. Mark here. Okay. Thank you very much. At this time, we do have with us uh our audit committee. And uh without objection, we'll hear from them if they have any questions for our potential candidates. Uh so guys, uh you're welcome to to visit with the candidates. Who who all's here? Which candidate? How many candidates do you have? Yeah, maybe today we have uh James Carter here. Can James Kerr like to recognize him? Yeah, James. Uh recognize James Carter, who is uh one of the applicants. Uh so uh James, if you would uh just sit in over there, yeah.
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