Ryan Benefield, a former Cabot city engineer, will be the next deputy director of the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. He is replacing former deputy director Jonathan Sweeney, who served the agency for 39 years.
Executive director Randy Young made the announcement. The commission has a staff of about 90 employees who are responsible for efficient water resource development, conservation and management.
Benefield has worked at the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality for 11 years and has been an ADEQ deputy director for the past six and a half years.
Before joining ADEQ, Benefield was a project manager for Terracon, a consulting engineering firm. The professional registered engineer will join ANRC on Aug. 31.
