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REGIONAL PLANNER RETIRING; NEW DIRECTOR NAMED

By Wes Clement/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 12:07 AM CDT

Jerre George will take the helm of Southeast Arkansas Regional Planning Commission Sept. 30 as Director Allan Skinner retires.

Jerre George and Allan Skinner pose with planning commission map.Pine Bluff Commercial/Wes Clement

“I don’t think there will be much of a transition,” George said. “I do a lot of the stuff already. Allan may have the lead on some things and I’ll have the lead on others, so we back each other up.”

George is from Berryville and graduated from Berryville High School. She attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where she earned a degree in urban and regional studies in 1975. She then went to work for SEARPC.

“I started here and have been here ever since and progressed up the ladder I guess you could say,” George said.

Skinner’s roots

Skinner is originally from Bemidji, Minn. He attended Bemidji State University following high school and earned a degree in geography. He then earned a urban and regional planning degree at the University of Northern Colorado.

Skinner began his career in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he worked for the area’s regional planning commission.

He moved to Pine Bluff in 1971 to work for SEARPC. He later took a job in Illinois and returned to SEARPC in 1977.

He once also worked for a transit management and planning company where he was responsible for managing Pine Bluff Transit for about a year in 1984-1985. Skinner has worked for SEARPC for a combined 35 years.

“When I came to work here, it was actually city and regional planning.” Skinner said. “They hadn’t separated yet.”

Skinner was former SEARPC Director Art Holmes’ first employee and gradually a demand for more employees grew the organization though the office has once again become small with three employees.

“We’ve seen this place be as many as 20 people with all the part-time people,” Skinner said.

“Back in the days of a lot of federal funding,” George added. “(President) Reagan cut out a whole lot of planning money. I remember when he came into office...”

“In his inaugural speech, he said I’m going to cut out the middle man and the planners,” Skinner said. “And that’s what he said, the middle man and planners.”

George said the commission serves the Pine Bluff and White Hall planning commissions by giving recommendations and technical help.

Skinner, George and Office Manager Vicky White have combined experience of more than 100 years working for SEARPC.

Skinner will be moving with his wife to a home they have purchased in Hot Springs Village. He said he hopes to play more golf.

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