LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A top aide to Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe has been chosen by President Barack Obama to head the multi-state Delta Regional Authority that works to enhance the economy of the impoverished Mississippi Delta region in eight states.

Chris Masingill, Beebe’s director of intergovernmental affairs, is currently the governor’s alternate to the DRA. He was nominated by the White House on Thursday to become federal co-chair of the agency, essentially its top administrator. The nomination must be approved by the U.S. Senate, according to the announcement.

DRA was created by Congress in 2000 and provides economic development programs in 252 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.