Arkansas governor appoints Finance and Administration Secretary Larry Walther to state treasurer

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) —

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday named Arkansas’ top finance official, Larry Walther, to serve as state treasurer.

Sanders appointed Walther, the secretary of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, to fill the vacancy created by Treasurer Mark Lowery’s death last week. Lowery, a Republican, died after suffering two strokes over the past several months.

Walther will serve in the post until 2025, when a newly elected state treasurer will take office. The treasurer manages the state’s investments and serves on several state panels, including the boards of trustees for the Arkansas public employees and teachers retirement systems.

Other news Texas police officer holds innocent family at gunpoint after making typo while running plates Judge blocks Arkansas law allowing librarians to be criminally charged over ‘harmful’ materials Biden openly acknowledges 7th grandchild, the daughter of son Hunter and an Arkansas woman

“We need a steady hand and a savvy head for business to oversee our state’s investments, and Larry has both,” Sanders said.

Walther has headed the Department of Finance and Administration since 2015, when he was appointed to the post by then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson. He also served as director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission under then-Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sanders’ father. Walther is a former director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and former member of the Export-Import Bank’s board of directors.

Sanders will announce a replacement for Walther as head of finance and administration next week, her office said.

“I’ve made a commitment to the governor and I make the same commitment to each of you here today and the people of Arkansas to coordinate a smooth transition and to coordinate the duties of the office with integrity,” Walther said.

___

For more AP stories about Arkansas: https://apnews.com/hub/arkansas

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.