The Insider in this week's Times, now on the web, leads off with a little item about a recent feature on Power Women in Soiree magazine. Turns out this was a "promotional feature," in which women paid for their profiles and photographs, though there was no legend identifying it as such.
Maybe the lack of a label was just an oversight. It was good exposure for the women -- all accomplished business, political and professional people (see jump). But we got more curious when, in asking around about the arrangements, Little Rock Vice Mayor Stacy Hurst referred our questions about the deal to the city's public relations guy.
End of story: The city of Little Rock, that is the taxpayers of the city of Little Rock, paid the $1,700 bill from Soiree for the feature on Hurst.
So far, we've been unable to get answers to questions about why the city would pay for a promotional feature on one city director and who authorizes such expenditures. There are other women on the city board, after all. Maybe B.J. Wyrick, Erma Fingers Hendrix, Doris Wright or Joan Adcock could dig up the info. Ladies? Didn't we just read that the city is in a bit of a financial pickle?
Soiree's 26 powerful women:
Virginia Atkinson, lawyer
Jan Burford, CARTI CEO
Renata Byler, Roller Funeral Home v.p.
Dr. Janet Riley Cathey, gynecologist
Cynthia L. Conger, CPA and financial planner
Debi Davis, interior designer
Heather Larkin Eason, CEO of Ark. Community Foundation
Cathy Ellis, owner Ellis Infiniti
Brenda Fulkerson, president of Fulkerson and Co.
Mary Healey, jeweler
Stacy Hurst, city director
Dr. Gail Reede Jones, urologist
Sissy Jones, jeweler
Jeanne Yarbrough Joyner, president of Episcopal Collegiate School board
Marla Johnson Norris, CEO of Aristotle
Kay Patton, associate director Anthony School
Dawn Prasifka, director, Centers for Youth and Families Foundation
Terry Rothwell, CEO Celerit
Elizabeth S. Small, CEO PDC Companies
Carole J. Smith, v.p., Delta Trust and Bank
Pam Stebbins, v.p., Leisure Arts
Cynthia Stone, COO The Arc Arkansas
Susan Walsh, interior designer
State Rep. Kathy Webb, restaurateur.
Sherece West, CEO Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
Celeste Whitlock, CFO Landers Toyota
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