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.
