Atty. Gen. Dustin McDaniel, Sen. Johnny Key, and Rep. Darrin Williams to be honored at Legislative Day
JONESBORO -- Arkansas State University will conduct its annual Legislative Day activities Saturday, Sept. 29, according to Chancellor Tim Hudson.
The honorees this year will be Attorney General Dustin McDaniel of Jonesboro, State Senator Johnny Key of Mountain Home, and State Representative Darrin L. Williams of Little Rock.
“Attorney General McDaniel, Senator Key and Representative Williams have been exemplary ambassadors for higher education in Arkansas,” Dr. Hudson said. “Arkansas State takes great pride in honoring these outstanding public servants for untiring dedication to their constituents and the State of Arkansas.”
The three honorees will be recognized Saturday during a luncheon for legislators, state officials, and the ASU Board of Trustees. Governor Mike Beebe and ASU System President Charles L. Welch will participate in the program.
The honorees will be recognized again during halftime of the A-State Red Wolves football game against Western Kentucky University. Kick-off is at 6 p.m.
Attorney General McDaniel is serving his second term. As the state’s top consumer advocate, his Consumer Protection Division has recovered more than $8.5 million for the citizens of Arkansas.
Earlier this year he joined 49 states and the federal government in a $26 billion settlement with the nation’s five largest banks over allegations of fraud and abuse in the mortgage servicing industry. In March, he launched the ‘Got Your Back, Arkansas’ initiative to equip Arkansans with the information they need to navigate the consumer marketplace and avoid scams and fraud.
Previously he served as a member of the state House of Representatives.
He is married to Bobbi McDaniel, and he has a daughter, Emma Grace, and two stepchildren, CJ and Alex Fowler.
Senator Key represents District 1, which includes Baxter and Marion Counties and a portion of Boone County. He began his term in 2009 after serving six years in the House of Representatives.
The Gurdon native serves as chair of the Joint Committee on Public Retirement and Social Security Programs, and also as a member of the Legislative Council, Senate Education Committee, and other major committees.
Senator Key also is a member of the advisory board for ASU Mountain Home. He and his wife Shannon operate two childcare centers in Mountain Home, and they have two children, Ryan and Rachel.
Representative Williams is serving his second term in District 36, which includes a portion of Pulaski County. He is chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and a member of the Legislative Council, the Arkansas Lottery Commission Legislative Oversight Committee, and several other committees.
In addition to his public service work, Representative Williams is an attorney with Carney Williams PLLC in Little Rock. Among his many honors, he was named to Arkansas Business’s “40 under 40” list of influential business and political leaders.
He and his wife, Nicole, and their two children, D. J. and Peyton, live in Little Rock.
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