Gov. Sarah Sanders announced the appointment of Brandon Adams, head of Conway-based nursing home chain Reliance Health Care, Inc., to a seat on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Wednesday morning.

Adams will replace outgoing commissioner Bobby Martin, an Asa Hutchinson appointee whose 7-year term ended June 30. Martin had served as chair of the seven-member body. The chairmanship now passes to commissioner Stan Jones.

Sanders made the announcement Wednesday morning at the Witt Stephens Central Arkansas Nature Center in Little Rock. She lauded Martin as “a legend, not just in Arkansas but frankly around the country.” As for Adams, she praised his devotion to his family and to the outdoors but offered few details about his biography.

He does appear to be an avid hunter: The governor said that she once spent “the better part of 6 hours sitting out in the freezing cold” in a duck blind with Adams. The experience allowed her to get to know him well, she said.

Adams, a Conway native who now lives in Fayetteville, expressed his gratitude for the appointment in a short, emotional speech. He said he was especially excited to be a part of the Game and Fish commission’s restoration of Lake Conway, an ambitious multi-year project that has some Faulkner County residents upset.

Martin and Jones also made brief remarks congratulating Adams.

According to a 2018 Arkansas Money & Politics story on the nursing home industry, Adams and his brother, Bryan, at that time operated 41 nursing homes around the state, more than any other operator in Arkansas. The Reliance website now lists 38 locations statewide. A related health care company owned by Adams, RHC Operations, has been a major donor in failed “tort reform” efforts that would have made it harder to sue companies (such as nursing homes) for damages.

(Noted: The governor’s husband, Bryan Sanders, appeared at her side Wednesday, as he often has at recent events. Arkansas Times reporter Debra Hale-Shelton has been looking into Bryan Sanders’ role in decision making at the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, which has seen a mysterious reshuffling of its leadership over the past month. Though the Game and Fish Commission is independent of the Parks department, the first gentleman’s center-stage presence today seemed to underscore his outsize role in all matters concerning the Arkansas outdoors. Bryan Sanders is also head of the governor-appointed Natural State Advisory Council.)

Update: The governor’s office sent this release Wednesday afternoon on Adams’ appointment.

Governor Sanders Announces Brandon Adams as Newest Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.— Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today announced that Brandon Adams will serve as the newest Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner. Brandon’s seven-year term will last until 2030.

“Bryan and I have made no secret that promoting our state’s outdoor economy is one of the top priorities we have. We know that it’s one of the greatest assets that our state has,” said Governor Sanders. “Brandon Adams, our newest commissioner, is somebody that I am very excited to announce today will be taking that position. He loves his family, he cares about our state, and he loves the outdoors – and he loves the idea of making sure that every Arkansan has access to the great resources we have right in our backyard.”

“I am deeply honored to have been appointed by Governor Sanders to this important position on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. I was born and raised and have spent my entire life hunting and fishing in what I consider the most beautiful and diverse state in America. I believe that the AGFC has played a crucial role in making and keeping it that way. I look forward to doing my part to help continue this mission,” said Brandon Adams.

Brandon Adams biography:

Brandon Adams is the President and CEO of Reliance Health Care Inc., a nursing home company founded in 1998. He is also a partner at Heartland Auto Group and Heartland Pharmacies. Brandon is the Chairman of the Board at Banded Brands/Avery Outdoors, a nationally recognized hunting apparel company, and co-owner of Prairie Wings Duck Club in Altheimer, Arkansas. He is a Conway native and lives in Fayetteville with his wife, Brandi.

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