Garvin named director of Fort Smith human resources department

Eric Garvin, who has been with the city of Fort Smith human resources department^[1] since 2018, has been named the city’s director of human resources. His first day on the job was Sept. 14, the city announced Tuesday (Oct. 21).

Garvin succeeds Rick Lolley who resigned on June 7^[2] following the controversy over a failed attempt to hire an internal auditor. The Fort Smith Board of Directors voted April 22 to hire Rebecca Cowan as internal auditor. After it was disclosed she faced a felony charge, the board rescinded the hiring on April 24. Lolley had been with the city since 2018.

Since joining the city in 2018, Garvin’s jobs have included human resources generalist, deputy director of the department, and acting director. His salary as director is set at $125,000, according to the city.

The department director oversees all human resources for city, including policy administration, recruitment and talent management, compensation and benefits, employee relations, performance management, training and safety, compliance, and risk management.

The department has 11 employees, including the director, and is responsible for the HR needs of 734 non-uniformed city employees, and there are a total of 1,011 city employees eligible for benefits, according to the city.

“I look forward to supporting our exceptional workforce and advancing initiatives that enhance the employee experience across all departments,” Garvin said in a statement. “My priority is to align our people strategy with the city’s organizational goals — fostering employee engagement, professional growth, and operational excellence. Our employees are at the heart of delivering high-quality services to the citizens and visitors of Fort Smith, and I am committed to ensuring they have the support and resources needed to succeed.”

His background includes more than 13 years as the human resources manager at Fort Smith-based Peachtree Hospice and more than six years as a human resources representative in Duluth, Ga., with LexisNexis. He holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources development from the University of Arkansas, and an associate degree from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. Garvin also has served as president of the Western Arkansas Human Resource Association.

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