Our Team

Meet Our Team

Susan Adamson-Ray

Susan Adamson-Ray

Vice President

Adamson-Ray is the mother of Asher Brooklyn Ray and a native of Stuttgart, AR. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Art in Graphic Design and a Master of Art in Drawing and Photography.

Susan Adamson-Ray

Adamson-Ray is the mother of Asher Brooklyn Ray and a native of Stuttgart, AR. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Art in Graphic Design and a Master of Art in Drawing and Photography. Susan served as Director of Design at Kinder-Harris, Inc. until its acquisition by Paragon Picture Gallery in Albertville, AL in 2010. She continues to design wall decor for Paragon as well as own her own Art and Custom Jewelry Studio, Pinky and Bitz Art Studio.

Susan enjoys spending time on the lake and traveling. She currently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband Justin and their one eyed cat, Jazzy.

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Justin Ray

Director of Operations

Justin is a native of Stuttgart, AR. He is married to Susan Adamson-Ray and they live in Little Rock, AR. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a Bachelor's degree in Communication.

Justin Ray

Justin is a native of Stuttgart, AR. He is married to Susan Adamson-Ray and they live in Little Rock, AR. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a Bachelor's degree in Communication. He has a Graduate degree from Webster's University, St. Louis, MO in Management and Leadership. Justin is a retired Major, U.S. Army Signal officer that served in numerous assignments and overseas deployments in his 22 years in the Armed Forces. He is a graduate of the Arkansas Military Academy. Justin currently works as a Network Engineer for Verizon Wireless where he has 25 years of service in telecom. Justin is an avid reader and cyclist who enjoys exploring the trails and roads of Arkansas.

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Craig Matthews

Craig Matthews

Treasurer

Craig has been on the board since its inception in 2019 where he currently serves as Treasurer. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas

Craig Matthews

Craig has been on the board since its inception in 2019 where he currently serves as Treasurer. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville where he met his wife Sara. They have one son - Hunter, and had the privilege of being co-godparents of Asher Ray.

After graduation, Craig began his 30 year career with Alltel Communications (now Verizon) in Little Rock. After many job moves in Arkansas, West Virginia, and South Carolina, they moved back to Arkansas in 2004 where he and Justin Ray worked together on numerous projects. Upon their son's high school graduation, they moved permanently to Hot Springs in 2017.

Craig retired from Verizon and enjoys spending time with friends and family - especially anchored down in a cove somewhere on Lake Hamilton. He also loves to travel, hunt, play golf, and ride the trails of the beautiful state of Arkansas.

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Dixie Phillips

Dixie Phillips

Secretary

Dixie grew up in Stuttgart aspiring to be a race car driver while racing up and down Main street in her GTO.

Dixie Phillips

Dixie grew up in Stuttgart aspiring to be a race car driver while racing up and down Main street in her GTO. Later she decided that was not to be and she took up golf where she dreamed of golf games filled with long drives, short putts and below par scores.

As a lifelong resident of Stuttgart, Dixie Phillips worked as a data processor at Arkansas Rice Growers (Riceland Foods), owned and operated The Dixie Agency, insurance and real estate and a dance studio. She was co owner of Kinder Harris, Inc. and manager/owner of the Kinder Harris outlet store. She is a member of St Alban Episcopal Church where she serves as LEM (lay eucharist minister), lector and serves on the altar guild.

Dixie is married to Joe O Phillips and has one daughter, Susan Adamson-Ray and her husband, Justin and is the grandmother of the late Asher Brooklyn “Bit” Ray. She has one step daughter Marcia Neal and her husband, Todd and four step grandchildren, Madison, Tanner, Callie and McKenzie Neal.

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Sharon Morgan

Sharon Morgan

Member at Large

Ms. Sharon Morgan served different arenas of education for 42 years, the most recent stint serving as Head of The Anthony, Little Rock since 2005.

Sharon Morgan

Ms. Sharon Morgan served different arenas of education for 42 years, the most recent stint serving as Head of The Anthony, Little Rock since 2005.

Sharon is a native from Star City, AR. She received her Bachelors’ of Science degree in 1975 from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, and her MSE in Educational Administration at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

Being involved in the athletic arena and coaching has been life-long from the beginning of Sharon’s career in education. She has been involved with coaching basketball from elementary to Division I, organizing clinics and camps, individual instruction, assisting in practices, organizing basketball leagues, and head coaching of boys and girls.

As girls’ basketball coach at White Hall High School, she organized the first girls’ team after years long lay-off from competition. After 16 years at White Hall Sharon was hired as the Women’s Basketball Head Coach at Ouachita Baptist University. She was Coach and instructor for three years at OBU.

Division I basketball was next step for Sharon at the University of Texas at Austin. She served as Assistant to the Director, Assistant Basketball Coach under Hall of Fame Coach Jody Conradt. After four years at Texas, an opportunity to join the professional ranks came in 1998 when Sharon joined the ABL, American Basketball League, in Nashville, Tennessee as Director of Operations of the Nashville Noise women’s professional team.

Sharon returned to Arkansas to begin what would end as a 20-year involvement and service to The Anthony School in Little Rock. At TAS some of her responsibilities as Head of School included authority to lead the school, responsible for the overall operation of the school, provide leadership, vision, and guidance to the administrative staff, faculty, and students, directly supervise the faculty and staff and coordinate the activities of the school organization.

Recently retiring from education, Sharon continues to work in specific educational and athletic areas. She currently resides in Little Rock and presently serves as treasure on the Arkansas Non-Public School Accrediting Association Board, ANSAA.

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Kristin Hackworth

Member at Large

Kristin Hackworth is a seasoned data analyst with 27 years of experience at Acxiom Corporation. Based in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Kristin enjoys life with her husband, Tony, and their two sons, Zach and Alex, who are both students at the university.

Kristin Hackworth

Kristin is passionate about supporting causes close to her heart, particularly in the fight against cancer. Having experienced the loss of her first husband in 2009 and her father in 2020, Kristin’s involvement with The Brooklyn Project Foundation is driven by personal loss and her desire to help children like Asher never have to endure the challenges of cancer. Her friendship with Susan and Justin has only deepened her passion for the charity's mission.

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Stanley Smith

Stanley Smith

Director of Accounting

Mr. Smith is a partner of JSA CPAs, PLLC and has been retained as a Business Appraiser, Economist, Expert Witness

Stanley Smith

Mr. Smith is a partner of JSA CPAs, PLLC and has been retained as a Business Appraiser, Economist, Expert Witness and Consultant by Business Owners and Managers, Attorneys, and Financial Institutions, to provide services in three principal disciplines:

Business Appraisal and Enterprise Valuation

  • Litigation Support
  • Business Analysis
  • Financial Forensics

As a Certified Public Accountant, Mr. Smith continues to provide tax planning to individuals and businesses, including succession and exit planning along with the use of international entities for over 35 years.

Mr. Smith is a Certified Business Appraiser, a professional designation awarded by the Institute of Business Appraisers. Only about 350 such designations have been awarded in the U.S., and require proof of extensive business appraisal knowledge, completion of a course of study specified by the Institute, submittal of demonstration appraisal reports to the Qualifications Review Committee, and successful completion of an examination.Mr. Smith was awarded the designation of Certified Business Advisor by the Institute of Business Appraisers in 2005 and Certified Valuation Analyst by the National Association of Certified Valuation Analyst in 2002

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John Edwards

John Edwards

Legal Counsel

Experienced General Counsel with a demonstrated history of working in government administration. Skilled in Administration, Project Management, Legislative Relations, and infrastructure development. Strong business development professional with a JD from University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law. Edwards is a veteran of the Iraq War and relief operations in New Orleans after Katrina. Retired as a Colonel in the USAR in 2013.

John Edwards

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Charles_Edwards

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Ashley Bowie headshot

Ashley Bowie

Member at Large

Ashley is a native of Stuttgart and resident of Jonesboro, AR. 

Ashley Bowie

Ashley Bowie has worked in the public school system for the last 15 years.
She has recently changed her life role and bought into a real estate
franchise NextHome BHB Property Advisors in Jonesboro, AR. She has
been in real estate for about a year. She is a native of Stuttgart were she
lived until she graduated in 1993 and moved to Jonesboro to attend
Arkansas State University. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in
Communications with a minor in Public Relations. Ashley and her
husband Brent have one daughter, MaryMac who is currently attending the
University of Arkansas pursuing a degree in Psychology with a minor in
Horticulture and Agriculture Business.
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DIAMOND-WELLS, Tammy

Tammy Diamond-Wells

Member at Large

Tammy currently serves as the Vice President of Patient Care Services at Arkansas Children's Hospital. 

Tammy Diamond-Wells

Proven transformational leader within a large pediatric healthcare system with demonstrated ability to influence and lead change. Accomplished in implementation of mission- inspired, data driven strategies. Resourceful in team building, problem solving, consistent high achiever, talent manager, and culture change agent. Effective communicator with ability to build diverse relationships and impact change. Agile with extensive background leading inpatient post-operative surgical units and medical unit. My strengths include promotion and achievement of clinical system management, and building Collaborative relationships.

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ACH Shannon Hendrix-0037

Shannon Hendrix

Member at Large
Shannon Hendrix was formerly the Chief Administrator at Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale, AR. She has
held several posions at AC over the past 8 years and worked in healthcare for over 20 years.

Shannon Hendrix

Outside of Arkansas Children’s, Shannon sits on the board the Li&le Rock Zoo and is acve in her
sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
Shannon received her Bachelor and Master’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas and
completed her dietec internship at UAMS.
Shannon grew up in Stu&gart. She and her husband Rodney have two children. In her spare me, she
enjoys spending me with her family, traveling, and playing tennis.
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Kelly Steliga

Kelly Steliga

Member at Large

Kelly Steliga grew up living in communities ranging from Stillwater, Minnesota to New Orleans, Louisiana, and several places in between.

Kelly Steliga

Kelly Steliga grew up living in communities ranging from Stillwater, Minnesota to New Orleans, Louisiana, and several places in between. Kelly attended the University of New Orleans on a collegiate golf scholarship and graduated with a degree in marketing. Kelly has worked in fields including, marketing, advertising, and sales but currently focuses her energy on substitute teaching at The Anthony School, serving on the Anthony School ParentCrew Board, and ceramics. Kelly and her husband Matt have two daughters at The Anthony School and two energetic dogs at home.

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Erika Stone

Erika Stone

Member at Large

Erika is a lifelong resident of Stuttgart where she was employed with the Arkansas County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for 30 years.

Erika Stone

Erika is a lifelong resident of Stuttgart where she was employed with the Arkansas County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for 30 years. She and her husband Chris own a trucking company, Rolling Stone Hauling and other local businesses. Erika spends as much time as possible on Greers Ferry Lake, but loves the “country life” on the Grand Prairie as well. She and Chris have three children, Gunnar Stone, Harlie Heien and Sada Beth Stone.

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Carolyn McCarley

Member at Large
Carolyn and her husband Clark own McCarley Construction in Little Rock,
Arkansas. She currently helps a bit with the company but is primarily busy
as mom of their three sons, Clark Jr, Cooper and Miller and four dogs, Echo,
Hazel, Thief and Boots! Even though she isn’t currently working in the field
of social work, she has kept her license current so that she has the option to
jump back in if she feels led. She enjoys spending time with her family
during the summer on Greer’s Ferry Lake and in the winter at their hunting
cabin in Gregory, AR.

Carolyn McCarley

Carolyn is a native of Louisiana but has called Arkansas home for the past
twenty-ve years. She attended Appalachian State University in Boone,
North Carolina and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social work. She
then attended graduate school at the University of Tennessee-Memphis and
graduated with a master’s degree in social work. While in graduate school,
she completed an internship at St Jude Children’s Hospital and quickly
found her passion. She worked at Arkansas Children’s Hospital for almost
thirteen years as a Hematology Oncology Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
(It was during that time that she met Asher, Susan and Justin). Professional
memberships included the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and the Association
of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers (APOSW). She held the Conference
Chair position on the board of directors for APOSW for a four-year term.
Carolyn and her husband Clark own McCarley Construction in Little Rock,
Arkansas. She currently helps a bit with the company but is primarily busy
as mom of their three sons, Clark Jr, Cooper and Miller and four dogs, Echo,
Hazel, Thief and Boots! Even though she isn’t currently working in the eld
of social work, she has kept her license current so that she has the option to
jump back in if she feels led. She enjoys spending time with her family
during the summer on Greer’s Ferry Lake and in the winter at their hunting
cabin in Gregory, AR.
Working closely with pediatric cancer families for so many years, she knows
the signicance of volunteering to raise funds and awareness for the cancer
kids of Arkansas. Other than BPF, she is a committee member for Goodness
Village (an organization that assists with lodging for medical patients who
live outside of Little Rock) and certied as a Community of Hope Lay
Chaplain.
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Renee Robison

Member at Large

Renee is a lifelong family friend of Dixie Phillips and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Grand Prairie Center in Stuttgart. 

Renee Robison

Renee spent most of her life working in the tourism industry. She has worked in Pine Bluff and Stuttgart managing large venue operations. She resides in Stuttgart and has a son and two grandson's who live in Little Rock. 

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