Arkansas PBS names Sajni Kumpuris interim executive director
ARKANSAS (KNWA/KFTA) — The Arkansas Educational Television Commission has named Sajni Kumpuris as the interim executive director of Arkansas PBS, effective Monday, May 26.
Kumpuris currently serves as the organization's education director and production director. She will assume the interim leadership role following the departure of Courtney Pledger, who has held the position of executive director and CEO since 2017.
'I am honored to step into the role of interim director at Arkansas PBS,' Kumpuris said in an Arkansas PBS Facebook post. 'This organization has long been a vital resource for our communities, and I'm committed to continuing our mission of providing high-quality educational content and programming that reflects the values and needs of all Arkansans. I look forward to working with our incredible team as we build on our legacy of service and innovation.'
University of Arkansas to create statewide 'crisis hub' with $10 million award from DHS
She has produced educational programs including 'Rise and Shine,' 'Arkansas AMI,' and 'Mystery League,' and the documentary '7 Days – The Opioid Crisis.' She has received three regional Emmy Awards and multiple Public Media Awards under Arkansas PBS, according to Talk Business & Politics.
Kumpuris serves on the PBS KIDS Leadership Council and the school board of The Excel Center. She holds a master's degree in applied communication and has experience in broadcast production and educational media.
Kumpuris also leads ArkansasIDEAS, an online professional development platform serving over 96,000 educators in Arkansas with more than 600 courses.Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Judge rules City of Fort Smith violated Freedom of Information Act following failed hire
FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Sebastian County judge has ruled that the City of Fort Smith and its acting city administrator violated the state's Freedom of Information Act. Fort Smith-based attorneys Joey McCutchen and Stephen Napurano filed the lawsuit against the city on May 2 after claiming Fort Smith failed to provide all public records related to the hiring of Rebecca Cowan as internal auditor. Cowan was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors on April 22, but the offer was rescinded after it was revealed she had a pending felony stalking charge. The City of Fort Smith told Talk Business & Politics, 'Human Resources produced the background check and relayed the information to Administration per City protocol.' Acting City Administrator Jeff Dingman, in an email to McCutchen, said, 'The background check information was delivered in hard copy. That record no longer exists. The Chief Human Resources Officer does not have a copy of the packet that was delivered. There is no hard copy.' An email from Dingman, not included in the city's FOIA response, was later obtained directly from a board member, according to the lawsuit. This email stated that Dingman 'did not believe a background check was performed.' The lawsuit also alleged the city failed to respond in a timely manner and may have withheld or destroyed public records. Fort Smith Boys & Girls Club awards $64K in 2025-26 college scholarships On June 3, the judge assigned to the lawsuit ruled in favor of McCutchen and Napurano during a hearing. An order, officially filed on June 5, said 'The Defendants' failure to timely respond, thefailure to provide clearly responsive records, the absence of any valid extension or waiver, and the troubling lack of transparency regarding the missing background check' were reasons as to why the city was ruled to have violated the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. A spokesperson from the City of Fort Smith gave the following statement to KNWA/FOX24 in response to the judge's ruling: 'While the City of Fort Smith provided all relevant documents in response to Mr. McCutchen's FOIA request, we did not meet the three-business-day deadline outlined in the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and missed the deadline by two business days. The City remains committed to operating with transparency and integrity in all public records processes.' The ruling said the city will be responsible for paying attorney fees to McCutchen and Napurano. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Arkansas NAACP speaks out against Job Corps closings
Video: Career counselor at Little Rock Job Corps says federal pause on operations nationwide leaves students with nowhere to go LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The NAACP in Arkansas is calling for immediate action in response to the closing of Job Corps centers in the state. The NAACP Arkansas State Conference, along with the NAACP Little Rock Branch, NAACP Sebastian County Branch, and NAACP St. Francis Branch, referred to the centers as 'vital' in a statement released on Thursday. Job Corps closing hits home with Little Rock families NAACP officials said the shuttering of key facilities has impacted thousands of young Arkansans, especially those from low-income and minority backgrounds, cutting them off from critical career training and life development resources. 'The closures directly threaten the future of workforce readiness, educational access, and economic stability across the state,' officials said. Labor Department suspends Job Corps centers operations, drawing bipartisan pushback NAACP Arkansas State Conference president Barry Jefferson said the closings are a move in the wrong direction. 'The decision to close these centers is more than just a budgetary move — it is a betrayal of our youth and our communities,' Jefferson said. 'Job Corps has served as a foundation of opportunity for decades. Stripping that away, especially in underserved areas, is a step backward for Arkansas.' The U.S. Department of Labor has been closing Job Corps centers nationwide in a 'phased pause,' citing low graduation rates and a high number of incident reports. Closing the Little Rock center left many young people with no alternative but to turn to area shelters. Little Rock shelters see an uptick amid Job Corps pause NAACP officials said its branches are mobilizing public advocacy efforts and calling on stakeholders, including local officials, educators and business leaders, to demand a reversal of the closures. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
City of Siloam Springs to discuss code update with residents
SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The City of Siloam Springs will host a stakeholder roundtable on Monday, June 9, at 2:30 p.m. at City Hall Board Room to discuss the city's Unified Development Code update. The public is invited to attend. A news release from the city states that feedback from residents has shaped what is in the UDC. Work on the UDC resumed after a short pause to review pending legislation from the Arkansas State Legislature. On May 20, city planning staff held a workshop with the Siloam Springs Board of Directors to provide an update on the code's progress The meeting will be livestreamed on the city's YouTube channel and on Cox Channel 245. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.