RPA STAFF
RPA CHAIRMAN Joseph K. Wood |
Joseph K. Wood is a foundling. Abandoned as a newborn in the streets of Chicago one wintry night, he would be saved and taken to St. Vincent's Orphanage. Joseph would eventually be adopted at 10 years old. He became a teen leader in the tough neighborhood of Jeffery Manor. After college, Joseph began his career and went on to hold key leadership positions as a bank examiner with Illinois Commissioners of Banks, assistant director with the University of Chicago Booth School, head of recruitment at Walmart International and Deputy Secretary of State in Arkansas.
In 2016, Joseph was elected the first black county judge in Arkansas history and was re-elected in 2018. He was appointed as Cabinet Secretary of Transformation & Shared Services for Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2023 and recently elected as Chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas. Joseph is the author of two children’s books: Saving Joey and Adopting Joey as part of the Joey’s Journey Series and he is currently writing his autobiography. In 2022 he authored and released the history of Washington County Arkansas - from the County Judges of Washington County. Joseph lives in Arkansas with his wife June. They have three daughters, two son-in-loves, and three incredible grandchildren. |
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SETH MAYS |
A graduate of Mansfield High School, Seth Mays attended Arkansas Tech University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and an Associate of Science in criminal justice. While in his senior year of college Seth was named Political Director for Governor Asa Hutchinson's 2018 campaign for re-election, which resulted in the largest win percentage for a 4-year governor and the most counties won by a Republican nominee at that time. Following the 2018 cycle, Seth moved to Washington, DC to work for the Republican National Committee in local and national communications, where he interacted with media outlets across the nation.
He moved back to Arkansas to be Senior Political Director for the Republican Party of Arkansas during the 2020 election, where Arkansas Republicans won a record number of state house and senate races, and finally controlled more than 50% of county-wide offices. It was from there that he joined the team at JCD Consulting, before ultimately becoming the Victory Director for the 2022 cycle, where Arkansas Republican again won a record number of new seats and elected the State’s first female Governor: Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Seth is a former two-time State Chairman of the Arkansas Federation of College Republicans. He currently lives in Little Rock, and is a native of Mansfield, AR. |
FINANCE DIRECTOR ASHLEY WELLS |
A native of Bryant, Arkansas, Ashley serves as the Finance Director at the Republican Party of Arkansas. Prior to becoming the Finance Director in 2016, Ashley served as the Deputy Finance Director at the RPA since 2014. Prior to working at the RPA, Ashley assisted in operating her successful family owned and operated business in Saline County. Ashley married her sweetheart and has two beautiful children and a cute dog. |
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR AMBER CRAWFORD |
Amber, a Greenbrier native, is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas with a degree in Accounting, and The Campaign School at Yale. Prior to joining the Republican Party of Arkansas, Amber worked as a Policy Analyst for Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston. Previously, she served as the 2020 Political Director for French Hill for Arkansas, and as a Field Director for the Republican Party of Arkansas during the 2016 presidential election. She is a former First Vice-Chair of the Arkansas Young Republicans, and Chair of the Central Arkansas Young Republicans. Amber is a member of the Junior League of Little Rock, a Board Member of the Arkansas State House Society, and a member of the Impact Council via the Women's Public Leadership Network. She resides in Little Rock with her husband Chase, and their dog Kyzer. |
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT BEA GRAYES |
Bea Grayes, a native of Dumas, Arkansas is a graduate of Reed High in Dumas. She has a degree in banking, she worked at and managed several banking centers and mortgage companies throughout her career. After forty years, she retired from banking. After retirement, she came to work at the Republican Party of Arkansas, and after two and a half years of a second retirement, she came back to the Party She is the proud mother of five children, nineteen grandchildren, and twenty three great grandchildren. She is a member of Grace Missionary Baptist Church and is a licensed minister. |