Attorney, deputy prosecutor
De Queen
What do you consider to be the defining moment of your career so far?
The defining moment of my career so far is winning a big sexual assault trial against a prolific offender who had six victims he abused over many years. This was a “he said, she said” case without any physical evidence. The offender was sentenced to two life sentences plus 102 years in prison.
What do you love most about what you do?
I love fighting for victims and seeking justice helping those who cannot help themselves.
What pre-career moment has had the biggest impact on the way you approach your work?
The couple of weeks before I started law school, my dad made me come home and help him work on the hog farm. I had been enjoying my last few weeks of the summer break, living it up in Fayetteville. I realized when I got home that he was not, in fact, short-handed but he wanted me to remember where the money came from to pay for my fancy education and to remember the work I had to come home to if I did not finish school. This not only kept me motivated to finish school but to continue to work hard and appreciate the value of a dollar.
What obstacles have you faced, either personally or professionally?
I think the biggest obstacle I have faced professionally is being discounted as a younger female attorney in a male-dominated field. Women attorneys have to work twice as hard and be twice as tough.
What goals or milestones do you want to reach before you retire?
I have a lot I want to mark off my list, including elected prosecutor and circuit judge or federal prosecutor.
Is there another “power woman” who inspires you?
My mother, Rhonda Hunter, inspires me daily. She is semi-retired from her career as an executive from a Fortune 500 company where she worked her way up from an entry-level position to a senior vice president. Now she serves on the boards of directors for two publicly traded companies and balances that with her everyday life of chasing grandkids everywhere, from rodeos to ballgames. She is the backbone of our family, all the while helping my dad work their cattle ranch. My mother is the definition of a power woman.
What is a quote or saying that motivates you?
“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum,” by Margaret Atwood.
Read the full 2024 Arkansas Money & Politics Power Women list here
