Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Kristi Putnam announced that Lori McDonald has been promoted to serve as chief of staff for the agency.
McDonald, who previously served as assistant deputy director and deputy chief of staff of legislative affairs, will fill a key leadership role on DHS’s executive team, acting as the primary point of contact for legislators, elected officials, and other state agencies, and developing and managing special projects across various programs that DHS oversees.
“Lori McDonald lives and breathes the DHS mission, and she will continue to be a strong voice representing our agency and the beneficiaries we serve in this new role,” Putnam said. “She has extensive experience, a passion for helping people, and a rich understanding of the wide-ranging services we provide. She is a true servant-leader – I am excited to welcome her as our new chief of staff, and I look forward to working alongside her as we strive to continuously improve how we serve Arkansas citizens in need of assistance and pursue compassionate programs and policies that better our state.”
McDonald succeeds Mitch Rouse. Rouse, an attorney who previously served as chief counsel for DHS before becoming chief of staff last year, is leaving the agency to enter into private practice.
McDonald has served in several different roles over more than 20 years with DHS, including program coordinator, program manager, and program administrator.
“I am both honored and excited to take on this new position, and to continue a career that has been anchored in public service here at DHS,” McDonald said. “The work we do matters, and I’m deeply humbled to contribute in a new way to our critical mission serving the Arkansas community.”
McDonald began her career with DHS in 2003 when she was hired as a program coordinator within the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC), and she was promoted to a program manager in 2014. In 2017, she was promoted again to program administrator, where she tracked legislation affecting DHS and served as a liaison between the agency and elected officials. McDonald began serving as assistant deputy director and deputy chief of staff of legislative affairs in January 2023. In this role, she has supported an array of legislative efforts and managed a team focused on constituent services.