Get to know Chief of Staff McDonald
Lori McDonald has served as Chief of Staff for the Arkansas Department of Human Services since November 2024.
In this role, McDonald acts as the primary point of contact for legislators, elected officials, and other state agencies, and develops and manages special projects across various programs that DHS oversees.
McDonald began her career with DHS in 2003 when she was hired as a program coordinator within the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC), and she was promoted to a program manager in 2014. In 2017, she was promoted again to program administrator, where she tracked legislation affecting DHS and served as a liaison between the agency and elected officials. McDonald began serving as Assistant Deputy Director and Deputy Chief of Staff of Legislative Affairs in January 2023. In that role, she supported an array of legislative efforts and managed a team focused on constituent services. In November 2024, McDonald was appointed as Chief of Staff for DHS.
McDonald and her husband, Dan, live in Redfield, where they both serve as pastors at Family Church.
Office Overview
The Office of Chief of Staff, Legislative & Intergovernmental Affairs acts as a liaison between DHS, the state legislature, elected officials, other state agencies, and various community partners and constituencies, working to inform the state community about the DHS mission, programs, and initiatives. Within DHS, the Office helps to coordinate programs and special projects that reach across multiple DHS divisions.
The Office includes the Office of Policy and Rules, which works with DHS program divisions to develop and adopt internal DHS policies and promulgated administrative rules. Office of Policy and Rules also acts as a liaison between DHS and the Center for Medicaid Services of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Staff
| Shelby Edwards | Public Information Coordinator | 501-320-3961 |
| Dominique Davis-Shepherd | Public Information Coordinator | 501-244-3921 |