The City of Fort Smith is on track to once again have an internal auditor. The Fort Smith Board of Directors voted during a special meeting Tuesday (Aug. 12) to hire Amanda Strange as the city’s next internal auditor.
The director of internal audit is only one of two top city jobs directly hired by the board, with the other being the city administrator. The board in April was forced to reverse its decision to hire Rebecca Cowan as internal auditor when it was discovered she faced felony charges. The salary set for Cowan was $110,000.
The position has been vacant since April 1, 2024, when Tracey Shockley resigned after nine years with the city.
Director Lee Kemp moved that the board appoint Strange to the auditor position after an almost hour-long executive session during the special meeting. The motion was made to make the appointment pending finalization of an employment agreement with a resolution and the agreement to be voted on during the Sept. 2 regular meeting of the board.
The board voted five to zero for the motion with Directors Christina Catsavis and George Catsavis not present.
Directors Christina Catsavis, André Good, Kemp, and Neal Martin interviewed Strange and fellow candidate James Carter in an executive session during a special meeting Aug. 7.
Her LinkedIn profile lists her as a director with Forvis Mazars in Fort Smith, a position she has held since June 2024.
“I work with Commercial Services clients to provide audit and consulting services. I work with several clients in the energy sector but also have a broad client base that includes employee benefit plans,” she notes on her profile.
She was a director at Forvis in audit and consulting services for commercial clients from June 2022 to May 2025 and a director at BKD CPAs & Advisors from January 2008 to May 2022.
After a second round of public interviews with the city’s audit committee, Strange continued to show confidence in her abilities, Kemp said. She was the audit committee’s recommendation for the position.
“Carter was a strong candidate as well,” Kemp said. “But we felt that Amanda could do some things we need her to do.”
Strange will work toward her certified internal auditor (CIA) qualifications, he said.
The city’s human resource department will have to make sure all the necessary screenings come back favorably and all due diligence is completed and negotiate a salary before approval of Strange’s employment is brought back before the board Sept. 2, Kemp said.