Three school district employees seek Fort Smith athletic director job

Applicants for the open Fort Smith Public Schools athletic director job include a former district athletic director, the district’s assistant athletic director, the Northside High School principal, and the Alma High School head football coach.

Michael Beaumont, former director of athletics and activities for the district, resigned effective Aug. 29, 2025. Beaumont’s starting salary was $92,985, and his salary was $113,279 when he stepped down.

Beaumont was hired by the district in July 2019 following what at the time was a surprising reassignment of then-director Charles McKinney when Doug Brubaker was the district’s superintendent. McKinney is now director of technology operations for the district. McKinney was named athletic director following the sudden resignation of longtime director Jim Rowland in 2016.

The list of applicants, received from the district, shows the 10 applicants who either have been interviewed for the job or have interviews planned. The district did not disclose an interview or hiring timeline.

“The district is currently interviewing for the position, but I don’t have a timeline for when the position will be filled,” noted Kimberly Mundell, executive director of communications and engagement for the district.

McKinney, Assistant Athletic Director Jennifer Steele, and Northside High School Principal Chris Carter are school district employees who applied for the open job. McKinney said he applied to restore athletic programs that have “deteriorated.”

“Over the past few years, athletics and activity participation and skill level has deteriorated,” McKinney noted in his application. “I have historical knowledge of what the expectations are for the Fort Smith Public Schools Athletics and Activities Department and I have a plan to build our programs back to the level they deserve.”

The applications of Steele and Carter provided to Talk Business & Politics did not include the section explaining why they want the job.

Following are the other applicants for the district’s director of athletics and student activities.

Timothy Atkinson
He is a principal at Moody Elementary School in the White Hall Public School District in Jefferson County. Atkinson has a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology (1996) and a master’s degree in educational leadership (2016) from the University of Arkansas. His experience includes being director of sports medicine at the Jefferson Regional Medical Center between 1996 and 2024.

William Brost
He was district athletic director at North Wasco County (Oregon) School District for almost three years until the position was eliminated in June 2025 after district reorganization. He has a bachelor’s degree in U.S. history (2005) from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and is pursuing a master’s degree in education leadership from Eastern Washington University.

Rusty Bush
Bush has been head coach of the Alma High School football team since 2020. He was an assistant football coach in the Fort Smith district between 2006 and 2019. He has a bachelor’s degree in physical education (1999) from Henderson State University.

Timothy Jackson
Jackson is executive director of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, a job he has held since June 2024. He also was athletics director of the Clark County (Nevada) School District between 2005 and 2024. He has a bachelor’s degree in English (1994) from Bowling Green State University, and master’s degree in educational leadership (2001) from the University of Findlay, in Findlay, Ohio.

Mike Ramel
Ramel is athletic director of Henderson Collegiate School in Henderson, N.C. He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice (2006) from College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y., and a master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration (2012) from Concordia University in Irvine, Calif.

Tommye Robinson
Robinson recently worked until September 2025 as assistant athletic director for compliance at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. Robinson has a bachelor’s degree in sports, parks, and recreation (2011) from Missouri State University, and master’s degree in athletics/activities administration (2013) from William Woods University in Fulton, Mo.

Donald Thomas
Thomas is an art teacher and athletics director at Coalinga Middle School in Coalinga, Calif., and was an art teacher and football coach at Butterfield Trail Middle School in Van Buren for two years. He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology (2017) from American Public University, and a master’s degree in teaching (2023) from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.