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Arkansan chosen to be head of the Delta Regional Authority

Delta Regional Authority

This is a press release from the Delta Regional Authority:  

President Donald J. Trump has announced his intent to nominate Christopher Caldwell of Little Rock, Arkansas, to be Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), pending approval by the U.S. Senate. The nomination follows the August 10th appointment of Federal Alternate Co-Chairman Peter D. Kinder of Missouri.

“I am humbled by the President’s confidence and look forward to my confirmation. This is an incredible opportunity. Alongside Chairman Kinder and the hardworking folks at DRA, we will continue to make a positive economic impact across the Delta Region,” said Caldwell.

DRA’s Alternate Federal Co-Chairman, Peter Kinder, issued the following statement:

“Congratulations to Mr. Caldwell on his nomination, and I am eager to welcome him to DRA on behalf of our board and the governors in our eight states. I look forward to building a partnership that will continue to deliver economic development opportunities and infrastructure improvements to our region.”

Caldwell currently serves as the Director of Special Projects for Sen. John Boozman (R-AR).  Caldwell was the campaign manager for Sen. Boozman’s 2016 re-election campaign, as well as the Political Director for Boozman's 2010 Senate campaign.  He has also served on several other campaigns, including Gov. Mike Huckabee’s 2008 presidential bid and Sen. Tim Hutchinson’s 2002 Senate campaign. 

Beyond his political and government service, Caldwell has held various roles in the private sector and is an active volunteer in his community.  He graduated with a B.A. in Communication from the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. Caldwell resides in Little Rock with his wife Ashley and their two children.

Established in 2000 by Congress, DRA makes strategic investments of federal appropriations into the physical and human infrastructure of Delta communities located in the 252 counties and parishes of the eight-state region. More specifically, the agency works to improve regional economic opportunity through investments in basic public infrastructure, transportation improvements, job-training and education, and business development and entrepreneurship. Additionally, DRA programs help facilitate local capacity building, support leadership development, and promote the cultural and tourism economies to enhance the overall competitiveness of the region. 

According to DRA statute, the Federal Co-Chairman is to be appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate before officially assuming the duties of the position. Until that time, Chairman Kinder will continue to serve as the primary federal member for the agency.

Johnathan Reaves is the News Director for KASU Public Radio. As part of an Air Force Family, he moved to Arkansas from Minot, North Dakota in 1986. He was first bitten by the radio bug after he graduated from Gosnell High School in 1992. While working on his undergraduate degree, he worked at KOSE, a small 1,000 watt AM commercial station in Osceola, Arkansas. Upon graduation from Arkansas State University in 1996 with a degree in Radio-Television Broadcast News, he decided that he wanted to stay in radio news. He moved to Stuttgart, Arkansas and worked for East Arkansas Broadcasters as news director and was there for 16 years.