Cite as 2017 Ark. App. 676 ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS
EN BANC IN RE RETIREMENT OF Opinion Delivered: December 6, 2017 CHIEF STAFF ATTORNEY RITA CUNNINGHAM
PER CURIAM On the occasion of her retirement as Chief Staff Attorney of the Arkansas Court of Appeals, we take this opportunity to honor Rita Cunningham and her thirty-two years of service to our Court. Rita began her career with the Court of Appeals as a Staff Attorney in 1985. Seven years later, she was appointed Chief Staff Attorney. As the job grew in scope and complexity, she was called upon to manage the Court’s administrative, budgetary, and docket operations. Rita rose to that challenge, as she has risen to many others in the twenty-five years since her appointment. Her dedication and attention to the details of the Court’s operation have been the hallmarks of her time on the job. The “wheels of justice” have rolled a bit smoother on her watch, not only for the Court of Appeals but for the attorneys and litigants who come before us, and for the people of the State of Arkansas. More than forty judges have served on the Court of Appeals during Rita’s tenure.
Each of us has benefited from her knowledge and experience as an administrator and an attorney. Just as importantly, she has been a true friend and colleague to all of the Court of Appeals family. It is therefore with great sadness at her parting but with great joy for her well-deserved retirement that we acknowledge Chief Staff Attorney Rita Cunningham on this day. We wish the best for her as she begins her exciting new journey, and we express our sincere thanks for her service.
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