Arkansas Support Network, Inc.

Arkansas Support Network
6836 Isaac's Orchard Road
Springdale, AR 72762
Phone: (479) 927-4100
Fax: (479) 927-4101
Toll Free: (800) 748-9768

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About ASN

 

Arkansas Support Network was established in May of 1988 as Family Support Services, Inc. A small group of parents and volunteers incorporated and were licensed by the state to provide support and assistance to a limited number of families who had children with disabilities living in the home with them.

Since 1988, we have added a number of programs and services to complement our original Family Support program. Our guiding principle in 1988 was the belief that individuals who have disabilities and their families should be in control of service delivery. Our job is to assist, not to control. With every service that we have added since 1988, we have tried to adhere to this philosophy.

It is our belief that every person has the right to live in a home and in the community as an active and accepted member. Our intent is to support the presence and participation of children and adults with developmental disabilities in their homes and communities.

Corporate Information: Arkansas Support Network, Inc. is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization dedicated to providing the highest quality services and supports possible for individuals who have disabilities. Our Board of Directors is an active group of concerned citizens which is representative of the families and individuals that we serve and of the communities in which they live. We believe that our agency has a responsibility to the whole community. We have taken a leadership role in a number of community advocacy and policy-making positions which extend beyond those normally considered "disability" issues. Our board is committed to the concept of equal access to supports, services, and community resources for all citizens.
The Board of Directors meets six times per year. Meetings are scheduled for the last Monday of these months: July, September, November, January, March, and May. All board meetings are held at our administrative offices; 6836 Isaac’s Orchard Road, Springdale, Arkansas, 72762. The public is invited to attend. The public is also invited to attend all meetings of the various committees of the Board of Directors. For a specific schedule of meeting dates and times, please contact
Keith Vire.

Licensing Information: Our agency is monitored by the Arkansas Department of Human Services. We are licensed annually by the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services and the Division of Children and Family Services. In addition, our Supported Employment program is monitored by Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, a division of the Department of Education.

Sources of Funding: We are supported by state and Federal grants which are matched by contributions and by our United Way funding. As is the case in most nonprofit organizations, our government support is decreasing annually while the need for our services grows.
 

Our Board of Directors

Kevin Stovall (Chair) was born in the small town of Magnolia, AR where he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. From the age of 3-7 years he lived in an institutional facility in Clarksville. At the age of 8 years he was transferred to the care of the Easter Seals organization in Little Rock, where he lived until he was 18. He attended public school from grades 3-12 in Little Rock and graduated from Parkview High School in 1994. He attended college at the University of Central Arkansas from 1994-2000 studying Computer Art and Design. He worked for Easter Seals in Little Rock as an art instructor until his move to Fayetteville in 2002. He currently receives services from Arkansas Support Network. He has on occasion given art and music instruction for ASN at the Learning Market. His hobbies include collecting model cars and comics and his interests are the arts, music, movies, and video games.
Robin Anne Cook (Vice Chair) is a graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics with a minor in Speech Pathology. She has worked with both individuals and groups of people with developmental disabilities for over 10 years. While in Austin she worked with the Austin Travis County Mental Health/Mental Retardation division as a Support Assistant. Upon moving to Eureka Springs, AR four years ago, Robin worked with Arkansas Support Network before joining the Eureka Springs Public School District where she is a Special Education Assistant. Robin is a skilled piano player and teacher, is articulate in Russian and has a special interest in art.
Danica Watts (Secretary) has lived in Northwest Arkansas since 1989. She graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in Music Education. She currently works part-time at a doctor's office and volunteers at the ASN Springdale location. Danica and her husband Phillip have a young son Alex who receives services from the Family Support Program. Alex has multiple neurological and physical disabilities, including epilepsy, a metabolic disorder, and cortical blindness.
Marjorie Zinke was born in St. Louis, MO and moved to Fayetteville, AR in the summer of 1959 with her husband, Prof. Otto Henry Zinke, and three children Laura, Taz, and Van. She has AB, MA, and LSW degrees, and taught briefly at the University of Arkansas while she was a graduate student. Marge worked for the State of Arkansas as a social worker for 25 years, and retired in May of 1999. She has been active in many community organizations.
Carol Thompson moved to Northwest Arkansas in 1990. She is a Registered Nurse at the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Fayetteville. Carol graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Washburn University in Topeka, KS, where she was born and raised. She also received a Diploma in Nursing from Stormont Vail, Topeka and has been practicing nursing for 20 years. She is married and has three children. Her son, David, is in ASN’s Supported Living program. She served on Seaman Board of Education in Topeka. She has also served on various committees at the Richardson Center.
Marti Genge is an Education Outreach Specialist. She publishes a quarterly newsletter for Parent Educators throughout Arkansas through the Center for Effective Parenting, and runs Pages of Parenting Bookstore, which provides parenting books to educators and parents at reasonable prices. She is a writer in Parenting Education and is on the advisory board for Parenting in Arkansas magazine. In addition to being on ASN’s board, she is also on the board of the Amputee Foundation. Marti lives with her husband David and children Brittany and AJ in Fayetteville. Her daughter Brittany is a bilateral arm amputee from birth; both she and her husband are strong advocates for people with disabilities.
Lenthon Clark received a B.A. in Business Administration from Wiley College and a M.B.A. from Texas Southern University. He is Director of Scholarships and Financial Aid Emeritus at University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He is a member of Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville and a Deacon at Rolling Hills Baptist Church. Lenthon and his wife Shirley live in Fayetteville.
Lynn Trowbridge graduated from John Brown University in 1997 with a BS in Organizational Management and in 2002 with a MS in Leadership and Ethics. She is employed at Arkansas State Bank as the Human Resources Director. Lynn has lived in Siloam Springs most of her life and has no desire to live anywhere else. She served as President of Civitan 2001-2003 and is very involved with United Way of Benton County. She is a member of the Eastgate Church of Christ. Lynn has been involved with Arkansas Support Network since 1988. She received services for her son, Todd, through the Family Support Program. She has served on the board, provided respite and supported living in her home, worked as development coordinator, and is now back on the board in 2003. Her hobbies are gardening, sewing, swimming, and trying to learn to play the banjo.
Calvin “Jerry” Jarrett is the President of Arvest Asset Management, Investment Services. He has worked with Arvest in various capacities for sixteen years. Both Jerry and his wife, Shawna, are CPAs. He is a life-long resident of Arkansas, and a graduate of the U of A with high honors with a BSBA in accounting. His hobbies include golf, guitar, family workouts at the gym, and tae-kwon do. Jerry's son Michael has worked for ASN's KidsClub for several summers.
Grace Donoho currently serves as the Director of Education at the Jones Center for Families. She was raised in Chicago, Illinois and spent many, many hours in the museums there. Grace attended Northern Illinois University where she received a bachelor's degree in Home Economics. Early in her professional career she worked at Quaker Oats Research Laboratory, in Illinois. When she and her family moved to Arkansas she enrolled at the UA and received a masters in education with an emphasis in educational technology. Her doctorate is in Adult Education. Grace's daughters are married and live on the east coast, one in Baltimore, MD and one in Richmond, VA. Ginger Pye is the name of her lab/retriever- named after a children's book she read as a child and then read to her daughters. Knitting is Grace's favorite hobby. Reading and traveling run a close second. She has been to Europe four times, spending three of those trips touring Holocaust sites.
Don Johnson graduated from Greenland High School in 1959. He graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1970 and received a Master of Education Degree from the University in 1974. He taught school at Bates Elementary in Fayetteville for 3 years before becoming principal at Greenland Elementary for 4 years. He was named principal of Elmdale Elementary in 1977, a position he continues to hold. Don was a National Distinguished Principal in 1998, and has also won honors as the state Principal of the Year. He has been the recipient of the Orlan “Jack” Morgan Award from the Arkansas Council for Exceptional Children in 1996 for outstanding professional contribution to exceptional persons in the state of Arkansas. Don has been a PTA member for 32 years and has been active working for legislation for Arkansas PTA and National PTA for the last 16 years. He served on Education Secretary Riley and Tipper Gore’s Back to School Committee for 2 years.
Byron Morgan has been employed at the Jones Center for eight years, and is currently the maintenance coordinator. He and his wife attend Fellowship Bible Church in Lowell, where they teach three year old children at on Sunday mornings. They also lead a small fellowship group at their home. Byron has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma. He has two step-children, one of whom is a freshman at Rhodes College in Memphis, and the other is a graduate student at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Byron enjoys gardening, biking, carpentry, cooking, and computer video editing of old home movies and photographs.
Brandon Steimel was born in Pocahontas, AR and attended Pocahontas High School. He has a BA degree in Microcomputer Business Applications from Black River Technical College and a BA degree in Communications from University of the Ozarks. Brandon moved to Springdale, AR in February 2003 and is hoping to find a job in this area.
Holly Fields' daughter, now an adult, was in the first group of children served by the original Family Support Services Program. Holly has served on the board for many years, rejoining the board this year after a break.

Holly has been involved in Civitan, Rotary, United Way and other nonprofit organizations. Although now retired, Holly has been a secondary school teacher and a college math instructor. She was a banker for 18 years and has owned her own plant nursery and retail garden shop. Just prior to retiring, Holly was Director of Operations for ASN. She and her husband have five children and eight grandchildren. The Fields live in Siloam Springs.
Richard Harper A native of St. Simmons Is., Georgia, Richard Harper has been an Arkansas resident for four years. He came to Arkansas to attend the Sam Walton School of Business, where he studied Finance and Investments. Richard currently works as a financial advisor with AXA Advisors in Lowell, where he and his wife, Laine, also reside. Laine is the art director for AMC Communications, an ad agency located in Bentonville.

Richard wanted to get involved with the community through a local organization and believes that “the mission of ASN is the best out there.” Richard joined the ASN Board of Directors in 2006.
Brian Swisher was born in New York. His family relocated to Arizona in the early 1950's where he grew up on a horse ranch north of Phoenix. In 1969 Brian enlisted in the Marine Corps. After discharge he spent several years cooking offshore on an oil rig while living in Louisiana and later
moved to the Hot Springs area. Brian has been an independent contractor for 18 years specializing in home remodels.In 1986 Brian married Gail, his wonderful wife. They have two sons Daniel, who is 21 years old and currently in college, and Michael, a 16 year old sophomore in Bentonville High School. In 1990 the Swisher family "sold the farm" in south central Arkansas and moved to Bentonville where Gail took the position of Director of Nursing at the then Bates Hospital. Michael, born in 1991, was diagnosed with Hypomylination, a diagnosis that made getting service very difficult. Gail began conducting RN assessments for Arkansas Support Network in 1995. The Swisher’s soon found out what "family support" was all about and joined the ASN family. Brian and his family have had a close relationship ASN ever since.Brian and his family are active in and attend St. Bernard Catholic Church in Bella Vista where Brian is a member of the Knights of Columbus. Brian has been a leader in Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for over 16 years and is currently a BSA Assistant Scoutmaster. Daniel Swisher is an Eagle Scout, and Michael Swisher is a Star Scout looking forward to becoming an Eagle. Brian and his family are active in a variety of volunteer activities throughout their community.
Aurora Vicari has live in NW Arkansas since 2002. She graduated from the University Xochicalco in Ensenada, Baja California (Mexico), with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She is currently working at Peace at Home Family Shelter in Fayetteville.

Aurora and her husband Dave have three children: Davey, Anthony and Daniela. Davey is the recipient of services from the Family Support Program due to his autism.

Arkansas Support Network, Inc. welcomes our new Honorary Board that will act in an advisory capacity with our Board of Directors and management staff. We are proud to have the support and expertise of a great group of people in taking Arkansas Support Network into the future. We thank you for your donation of time, interest and effort towards our mission of supporting people with disabilities and their families throughout Northwest Arkansas and beyond.

  • Rep. Shirley Borhauer

  • Dr. Joel Carver

  • Dr. Dan Ferritor

  • Tommy Free

  • Judge Jerry Hunton

  • Kathy McFetridge

  • Diane Shaw

 

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