Michael Beaumont, director of athletics and activities for the Fort Smith Public School District, announced on Tuesday (July 29) he is resigning effective Aug. 29. Beaumont was hired by the district in July 2019.
Beaumont said he is moving to Knoxville, Tenn., to be closer to family. He said he does not yet have a job, but is working on it.
“It was not an easy (decision) to make, for sure,” Beaumont told Talk Business & Politics. “I love my time here, and we’ve done lots of wonderful things. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I have a new job, and it’s called being a granddad, and that is back in Knoxville, Tennessee, where my girls are.
“So I’m not retiring. I’ll work up there. I’ve got a couple of things that I’m working on right now, and hopefully all of that will pan out, and I’ll be able to announce my new career there in Knoxville.”
Beaumont said he didn’t reach all his goals in Fort Smith, but is confident about the future of the district’s athletic programs.
“The regret, I guess, is that the job is never done, and there’s so many more things that I want to get done, so many more things I wanted to get done this year, five years from now, 10 years from now,” he said. “But it’s okay. Hey, it’s a big, beautiful ship, this Athletics and Activities Department is, and the ship will keep sailing out to sea. You’re just going to have a new captain, and it’ll be okay.”
When Beaumont was hired in 2019 he filled the vacancy left when Dr. Darren McKinney, the district’s athletics director since 2016, moved to the position of director of technology operations.
At the time, Beaumont had 15 years’ experience at the university level, previously working as the director of operations for the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team. He also was on the athletics staff at the University of Central Arkansas, and the University of Arkansas and the University of Mississippi with Coach Houston Nutt.
Beaumont was also an athletic director/coach/teacher for Lincoln Public Schools in Lincoln. He graduated from Brookland High School in Brookland and grew up in Jonesboro. He has degrees from Arkansas State University and the University of Central Arkansas.
Jennifer Steele is the assistant director of athletics and activities for the district.