Fayetteville A&P boss to leave July 1, Commission to conduct national search for replacement

Kym Hughes, the executive director of Fayetteville’s Advertising and Promotion Commission, announced Monday (May 9) she will step down from the job on July 1. Hughes cited family concerns as the reason for her departure.

Hughes, a Georgia native, said she will move to closer to family and will work with the commission to ensure a smooth transition.

“I thank the Board, and its director Matthew Petty, for his willingness to work with me through this process. The Board has graciously accepted and understands my circumstances,” Hughes noted.

She has been on the job for about 15 months taking over for the retiring Marilyn Heifner who logged 22 years with the A&P Commission before retiring in January 2014. Prior to moving to Fayetteville, Hughes was director of tourism for Sandy Springs, Ga., a northern suburb of Atlanta. She held that job for seven years.

Hughes is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a bachelor of arts in communications with an emphasis in advertising, and a bachelor of arts in psychology.

Petty told Talk Business & Politics that the Commission will select an interim director at its June meeting and then begin a national search for a permanent replacement.

Hughes’ starting salary at the Fayetteville A&P was $85,000 plus a $5,000 moving allowance and she was chosen from a pool of 50 applicants.

“During my tenure, Fayetteville has been named in the top three places to live by U.S. News & World Report and received many other accolades. My team works tirelessly to promote our great city. However, the credit is not ours; the city itself makes our job easy. Fayetteville is a great place to be a tourist as well as a resident,” Hughes noted.

Fayetteville’s hospitality tax grew 12.8% from 2014 annual collections of $2.717 million, to more than $3.066 million collected in 2015, all of which was under Hughes watch.

Through the first two months of 2016 Fayetteville’s hospitality collections were $481,815, up 6.8% compared to the same period in 2015, according to Talk Business & Politics’ Arkansas Tourism Ticker. The city collects a tax on lodging and prepared food.