Little River Chamber of Commerce President Danny Young has pledged to revitalize the chamber of commerce amid the arrest of its executive director.
Fonda Hawthorne, a former Arkansas state representative, has been accused of making several thousand dollars in unauthorized purchases on the Chamber of Commerce debit card.
Kirk Babb, former president of First Guaranty Insurance Company, has been named interim executive director, Young said.
"On behalf of my fellow board of directors of the Little River Chamber of Commerce, I would like to say that we are extremely saddened at the recent allegations and subsequent arrest of our former director. This was a person whom we trusted to carry out our mission and someone with considerable public service," Young said in a news release.
Hawthorne made her first court appearance Jan. 18 in the Sevier County Circuit Court in De Queen, Ark., before 9th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Tom Cooper.
Hawthorne was told to return to Ashdown and turn herself in at the Little River County Sheriff's Office where she was booked into the county jail, according to officials.
Hawthorne's bond was set at $7,500. She posted the bond and was released from the Little River County jail. Hawthorne is scheduled to appear in the Little River County Circuit Court on Jan. 30 for her formal court arraignment.
A bank in Ashdown notified a chamber board member about suspicious activity on the chamber's debit card, according to court records. Allegedly, there were several transactions totaling $16,000.
The case is an ongoing investigation, Prosecutor Bryan Chesshir said.
Young listed some of the changes the chamber intends to make, which includes:
- Implementation of significant, stricter rules for oversight and audit functions.
- A push to renew and revitalize relationships with chamber members.
- A "listening campaign" to hear from the membership and the community/
- New leadership in the chamber office.
"I promise the Little River Chamber of Commerce will be working hard to fulfill its mission of positive growth by providing networking resources, timely information and good relationships for all businesses, current and future, in Little River County," Young said.