Leslie Fisken
Secretary

Leslie Fisken was appointed the Secretary of the Department of Shared Administrative Services by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in September 2023.  Previously, Fisken served as the Director of Cabinet Affairs for Governor Sanders. Prior to that, she was the Chief of Legislative Affairs for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. 

Contact Information
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 501.319.6565

Courtney Traylor
Chief of Staff

Courtney has a wealth of experience in operations and finance in the public and private sectors.  Before joining SAS, most recently she served as Deputy Director of Internal Operations for the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services within the Arkansas Department of Commerce.  Her previous experience also includes financial leadership roles with GE Healthcare.

Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 501.319.6565

James Caldwell
Chief Fiscal Officer

James Caldwell is the Chief Fiscal Officer for the Shared Administrative Services (SAS). Prior to his role as Chief Fiscal Officer for the department, James was the Chief Fiscal Officer for the SAS Division of Information Systems.

Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 501.319.6565

Jessica Patterson
Chief General Counsel & Director of Office of State Procurement

Jessica Patterson is the Chief General Counsel and Director of the Office of State Procurement for the Department of Shared Administrative Services (SAS). Jessica joins SAS from the Arkansas Supreme Court, where she served as a Judicial Law Clerk. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in International Business from the University of Georgia and a Juris Doctorate from Tulane University Law School. 

Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 501.319.6565

Rhoda Classen
Human Resources Administrator

Rhoda Classen serves as the Human Resources Administrator for the Department of Shared Administrative Services. Before assuming this role, she was the Executive Assistant to the Secretary’s Office, where she also took on additional human resources responsibilities. Prior to her work as Executive Assistant, Rhoda gained experience in Employee Benefits within the same department. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 501.319.6565

Paula McGill
Executive Assistant to the Secretary

Paula serves as Executive Assistant to the agency Secretary and Chief of Staff. Paula has been with the State of Arkansas for 21 years. Prior to joining SAS she worked for the Arkansas Department of Career Education and the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services within the Arkansas Department of Commerce.

Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 501.319.6565

Kristy Henriksen
Secretary’s Office Assistant

Kristy Henriksen is the first smiling face you will see when you come to the Secretary’s Office. Kristy has been with SAS since 2022 and, since then, has taken on additional duties in daily tasks and human resources. Before coming to SAS, Kristy worked at Pettus Office Supplies for 25 years!