Tennille Named Permanent AEDC Director, Bryles To Head Livestock & Poultry (UPDATED)

There is an interesting footnote to today’s jobs announcement from Russellville, which is bringing 25 jobs to a company that services Arkansas Nuclear One.

The press release from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission included a quote from Grant Tennille, the interim director at AEDC who has been in charge since the tragic death of former director Maria Haley.

Tennille is listed in the latest release as the “executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.”

Governor Mike Beebe’s spokesman Matt Decample confirms that Beebe intends to name Tennille to the post permanently.

UPDATE: After we reported on Tennille’s promotion, the media received the following  press release from Gov. Beebe’s office:

Governor Beebe today named Grant Tennille as Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and Steve Bryles as Director of the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission.  Tennille had been serving as Interim Director at AEDC and Bryles has been a Deputy Director at Livestock and Poultry.

Tennille, 43, previously served as a Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director in Beebe’s office beginning in the fall of 2007.  He was Beebe’s liaison for economic-development issues, and was named Interim Director after the death of Maria Haley in the summer of 2011.

Bryles, 54, has been a Deputy Director at Livestock and Poultry since January of 2011.  Prior to that, he served ten years as an Arkansas State Senator representing Mississippi and Poinsett Counties. The Commission’s previous Director, Jon Fitch, passed away last year. Bryles was also a candidate for U.S. Congress, District 1 in 2010.