About

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education is comprised of individuals representing a myriad of interests and experiences in terms of leadership, education, and civic involvement. The Board provides oversight regarding management and operations ensuring that the organization follows its mission and objectives. Board members are nominated and elected at the annual meeting and serve multi-year staggered terms.

John R. Taylor

CHAIR

Bio

Cole Goodman, MD

VICE CHAIR

Bio

Judy Boreham, PhD

SECRETARY

Bio

Mike Rappeport

TREASURER

Bio

James Baker, DO

Bio

Mike Barr

Bio

Jeff Beauchamp

Bio

John Brown, III

Bio

David Craig

Bio

Ron W. Darbeau, PhD

Bio

Christopher Greer, DO

Bio

William H. Hanna

Bio

Ronnie Hawkins

Bio

Tom Holland, PhD

Jim Patridge, JD

Bio

Karen Pharis

Bio

John R. Taylor

John Taylor is an honors graduate from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, earning a BSBA in Accounting in 1973. He is a Certified Public Accountant, holding the PFS (Personal Financial Specialist) designation from the American Institute of CPA’s, and is also a Certified Financial Planner. Currently, John is employed as a Senior Vice President with Stifel Financial, a financial services firm based in St. Louis, Missouri, since 1890 with more than 350 offices in 45 states. A frequent speaker for a variety of organizations, John has served as an instructor for the American Institute of CPA’s Continuing Education programs in numerous states. As a polio survivor and beneficiary of the March of Dimes, John has a passion for philanthropic causes and serves on numerous foundation boards. He also assists clients who wish to incorporate philanthropy into their financial planning decisions. John currently serves on the Board of the following foundations: The Degen Foundation (Treasurer), and the Fort Smith Regional Healthcare Foundation (serves as Chair). John also served on the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Foundation Board (1993-2016).

Cole Goodman, MD

Dr. R. Cole Goodman recently retired as the President/CEO of Mercy Clinic of Fort Smith Communities where he oversaw the growth of the clinic from 20 to over 200 physicians, 5 to over 200 APNs/PAs, 37 employees to 900+ co-workers, 76 clinic office locations, 39 specialties, 15 communities and 2 states over a 10-year period. He has also been on the staff of St. Edward Mercy Medical Center since 1978, and has served as Chief of Surgery at Sparks Regional Medical Center and St. Edward Mercy Medical Center. Dr. Goodman earned his M.D. from UAMS in 1973, and is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons. He is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Inc., and has served as the Past President, and is a founding member of the Arkansas Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. He is also a Past President of the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Active in his community, and within many charitable organizations, Dr. Goodman has served on the Board of Directors for Girls’ Inc., as well as Past President of the Fort Smith Boys and Girls Club, where he currently remains on the Board of Directors, and was honored as an inductee into the organization’s Hall of Fame. He has served on the Board of Directors of Medical Aid for Children of Latin America and has participated in 15 mission trips to Bolivia and the Dominican Republic. He has served as a Fort Smith City Director, and is currently on the Board for the United States Marshals Museum. Dr. Goodman and his wife, Staci, reside in Fort Smith and have three children and four grandchildren.

Judy Boreham, PhD

Dr. Judy P. Boreham holds a Ph. D. In sociology from the University of Oklahoma and is retired from a career in higher education where she last served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of the Ozarks. A native of Garland, Texas, Dr. Boreham has long been active as a community volunteer serving on numerous non-profit boards. She served two terms as chair of the Sparks Health System Board of Trustees and served as chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of the Ozarks.

Mike Rappeport

Mike Rappeport earned a BBA degree from Southern Methodist University and later attended the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas in Austin. After serving corporate clients for Accenture’s Resources Practice from 1977 until 2003, Mike accepted the position of Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch/Bank of America in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in 2004 and retired from that position in 2017. Active in his community, Mike has served on the Sparks Medical System Board of Trustees, the Sparks Foundation Board of Directors, the Clayton House Board of Directors, and was a member of the Rotary Club (Downtown) of Fort Smith. Currently, Mike serves on The Degen Foundation Board of Directors as well as the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education. Mike and his wife, Jane, live in Fort Smith and are the parents of two sons, Samuel and James.

James Baker, DO

Dr. James Baker has been practicing internal medicine for 25 years. He is a board-certified internist and a Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Internists. His interests are in cardiovascular health, diabetes, preventive medicine, and autoimmune diseases. Dr. Baker has staff privileges at three Northwest Arkansas hospital systems: Regency Select Hospital (Hospitalist 2010-2014), Northwest Arkansas Rehabilitation Hospital (Co-Medical Director 1991-present, President-Medical Executive Staff 2015-present, Staff Physician 1991-present) and the Circle of Life Hospice where he works on weekends as a staff physician. He was President of the Arkansas Osteopathic Medical Association from 2013-2014, chief of his internal medicine resident class, and was given the Most Outstanding Medical Graduate Award in 1986. He is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, the Benton County Medical Society, and is licensed in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Dr. Baker earned his Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from OSU in 1986 and completed his residency at Tulsa Regional Medical Center in 1990. He and his wife, Alisa reside in Rogers.

Mike Barr

Mike Barr has served as the President of Harry G. Barr Company/Weatherbarr Windows and Doors since 2011 where he was Vice President/Director of Operations from 1999-2011. He received a B.S. degree in Business Administration from University of Arkansas in 1997 where he also received his MBA in 1998. Barr joined the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce Board and served as Legislative Chair from 2009-2012, and was Chairman in 2015. Since 2010, Barr has served on the Bancorp South Community Board of Advisors and the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Board of Visitors. In addition to various leadership positions with the First Lutheran Church and School of Fort Smith, Barr is a 2002 graduate of Leadership Fort Smith where he served on the Board of Advisors from 2010-2012. He is currently serving on the Fort Smith Regional Council, President of the Western Arkansas Military Community Council, and Chair of the Fort Smith Community Health Council. Since 2013, Barr has also served on the Mercy Hospital Fort Smith Board of Directors. Barr and his wife, Greta, live in Fort Smith, and have two children.

Jeff Beauchamp

Jeff Beauchamp, President of Bedford Camera and Video, is a native of Fort Smith, Arkansas. A graduate of Westark College (now the University of Arkansas Fort Smith), Jeff joined the Arkansas Air National Guard, retiring in September 2002. As President of Bedford Camera and Video, Jeff has oversight of seven stores and approximately 100 employees in the Arkansas/Oklahoma region. Quite involved in his community, Jeff has served as a volunteer firefighter and first responder, as a local fundraising director for the American Heart Association, a fundraising chairperson for the U.S. Marshalls Museum, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce. Jeff currently serves on the Photographic Research Organization Board of Directors, the Fort Smith Regional Health Care Board, the Fort Smith EMS board, and The Degen Foundation Board. Jeff has been named as the recipient of the Arkansas Distinguished Sales and Marketing Award as the Top Marketing Professional for 2007, and the Air National Guard Unit Career Advisor of the Year. In 2009, he received the Barbara Broyles Sharing Award from the Arkansas Alzheimer’s Association. Jeff and his wife, Lucy, reside in Van Buren and are the proud grandparents of eight grandchildren.

John Brown, III

John E. Brown, III served as the Executive Director of the Windgate Charitable Foundation from its founding in 1993 to 2018. The Foundation’s grants are primarily directed to arts education projects, K-12 school improvement programs, higher education initiatives, programs to strengthen family relationships, and some human service programs. He is a former president of John Brown University, the Christian college founded by his late grandfather in 1919. He received a B.S. degree in Business Administration from JBU in 1971 and a J.D. from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, School of Law in 1974. Brown also joined the JBU staff in 1974 and served as president from 1979-1993. From 1995-2002, Brown served two-terms as a Senator in the Arkansas Legislature. He sat on various committees, including the Senate Education Committee, the Joint Budget Committee, and the Legislative Council. For one term he served as co-chair of the Joint Interim Committee on Children and Youth. While a State Senator, he authored and passed major legislation in juvenile justice, nursing home care, and education. Brown served twice as Chairman of the Board of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), a national coalition of (then) over 1200 Christian ministries which subscribe to fund-raising and financial disclosure standards for membership. He is currently a trustee of John Brown University and is a past Board President of Philanthropy Southwest, a professional association of some 240 grantmakers from seven states. Brown and his wife, Stephania, live in Siloam Springs, AR, and have five adult children and ten grandchildren.

David Craig

David C. Craig earned BSBA and MBA degrees from the Walton School of Business at the University of Arkansas and is a registered investment advisor with October Wealth Advisors, Inc. David served as a faculty member for the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, Arkansas State University, and John Brown University. He has received gubernatorial appointment and reappointments to serve on the Arkansas Student Loan Authority Board from 1988 until 2017 (Chairman from 1996-2013). He has also served on the Western Arkansas Community Foundation (2001-2014), the Leadership Fort Smith Alumni Board (Treasurer 2005-2014), and was a Trustee for the Community Services Clearinghouse. (2009-2018). David is currently a Public Member of the Institutional Action Council of the Higher Learning Commission of North Central Association of Schools and Colleges and a board member of The Degen Foundation.

Ron W. Darbeau, PhD

Ron W. Darbeau, PhD is a native of the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Darbeau earned his B.S. in Chemistry at the University of the West Indies in 1984, followed by his M.S. and Ph.D. at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD in 1992 and 1996, respectively. In 1996 he started as an Assistant Professor in the Chemistry Department at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA, becoming a full professor in 2004 and head of the department of Chemistry in 2002. He is a Physical Organic Chemist who has published dozens of peer-reviewed articles in his field and presented many times at chemistry conferences. In his 19 years at McNeese, he graduated over 30 Master’s students from his research group and secured over 3 million dollars in funding for research and infrastructure. He has won numerous awards, but is most proud of The Sarah and Adolph Roseman Award for Outstanding Accomplishment (from Hopkins), The Distinguished Faculty Award and The President’s “Tough but Good” Award (both from McNeese), and his selection as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society. He served as a member of the American Chemical Society – Committee on Professional Training for 11 years. He has been at the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith as the Dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (which includes the School of Education) for five years and as Interim Dean of the College of Health Sciences for one year. While at UAFS, he presented multiple seminars at the STEM Coalition, K-12, and various Civic groups. He is a member of the Advancing Coherent and Equitable Systems of Science Education (ACESSE) group and the Arkansas STEM Model Program State Advisory Committee. He also served as Vice President of the Arkansas Deans’ Association. In June 2020 he will begin his tenure as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.

Christopher Greer, DO

Dr. Christopher A. Greer currently practices at Mercy Clinic in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and received his D.O. degree from Des Moines University—College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1984 after receiving his bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. He completed his internship and ophthalmology residency at Botsford General Hospital in Farmington Hills, Michigan. He is certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology. He is a Past President of the Arkansas Osteopathic Medical Association and the Sebastian County Medical Association, and he is a Fellow of both the American Osteopathic College of Ophthalmology and American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Greer and his wife, Hollie, have lived in Fort Smith since 1995.

William H. Hanna

A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Bill Hanna began his tenure with Hanna Oil and Gas Company in 1983. He spent several years in Calgary, Canada, before returning to Fort Smith in 1992. He is the current President and CEO and Chairman of the Board of Hanna Oil and Gas Company. Bill serves on boards for the First National Bank Corp. of Fort Smith and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Smith. Past board service include the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce and United Way. He and his wife, Adrienne, have three grown sons. Bill is an avid cyclist and enjoys photography and outdoor activities with his family.

Ronnie Hawkins

Ronald R. Hawkins received a BSCE degree from the University of Arkansas in 1971. In 1980, he founded Hawkins – Weir Engineers, Inc., where he served as President until his retirement in 2012. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and Professional Surveyor in Arkansas. Since 2009, Ronnie has served as a member of the Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors, on the Board of Trustees of the Fort Smith Regional Healthcare Foundation, and on the Board of Directors of The Degen Foundation. Ronnie is also currently on the Arkansas Community Healthcare Education Foundation. Ronnie and his wife, Dixie, are the parents of two sons, Jason and Bryan.

Jim Patridge, JD

Earning a BSBA degree from the University of Arkansas, an M.S. from the University of Memphis, and a J.D. from Oklahoma City University, Jim Patridge brings substantial financial and management experience to the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education. Prior to his retirement in 2019, Jim was the President of the West/South Arkansas Division of BancorpSouth in Fort Smith after holding various executive positions at other financial institutions in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. He has attended The Executive Programs at the University of Michigan, banking schools at The University of North Carolina, and The ABA Commercial Lending School.

Being active in the community, Jim has served in various capacities in several professional, civic, and community organizations. He has served as Chairman of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, and is a former Board Member with Sparks Foundation, and Chairman of the Sparks Medical System. He has served as a Board Member of The Degen Foundation as well as the Fort Smith Regional Healthcare Foundation. He has also served as Finance Division Chair and Pacesetter Chair of United Way-Fort Smith.

Jim and his wife, Ellen, reside in Texarkana, Texas.

Karen Pharis

Karen Pharis of Van Buren, currently serves as Secretary and co-owner of Pharis Broadcasting, Inc., an Arkansas corporation. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Karen is a graduate of Fort Smith Northside High School, and later earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Karen has held the roles of reporter, assignments editor, news director, and anchor at Channel 5 (CBS) and Channel 24 (NBC) in Fort Smith before she and husband, Bill, launched AM radio station KAYR in Van Buren. The two later brought the FOX television network to the Fort Smith market with FOX 46 Television where she hosted “46 Good Day.” Currently, Karen serves as General Manager of the Fort Smith Radio Group which operates five local radio stations–KQBK-FM (kool 104), KFPW-FM (the Fort 94.5), KFPW-AM (the Marshal 1230), KHGG-FM/AM (the SportsHog 103.1/1580). She is the Producer/Host of “Arklahoma Today” which airs from 7:00 am to 8:00 am weekdays on KFPW-AM and KHGG-FM/AM and is simulcast on the internet at www.Arklahomavision.com.

An active member of her community, Karen serves as the Secretary of the Van Buren Civil Service Commission, and is Chair of The Degen Foundation. A graduate of Leadership Fort Smith, Karen has also served on the board of the Fort Smith Art Center, parish council secretary at St. Michael Church, the GFWC Women’s League of Van Buren, and as publicity chair for the Arkansas GFWC. Karen and Bill have three children; Billy, a Springdale attorney and former professional basketball player in Lebanon and Denmark; Laurie Blasingame, DPT of Fayetteville; and Michael Pharis, a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy in Fort Smith, and four grandchildren.