Local Faces

Local Faces Citizens Bank Promotes Charolette Royal & Josh Baker Chuck Jones

Citizens Bank is proud to announce the promotion of Charolette Royal to Vice President & Corporate Trust Officer in the bank’s Trust Division.

A lifelong resident of Evening Shade, Ms. Royal has three children and one granddaughter. She is a member of the Evening Shade City Council and serves on its Community Events Committee. She enjoys crafting, cooking, kayaking, and camping.

Citizens Bank is proud to announce the promotion of Josh Baker to the position of City President in Hot Springs.

He and his wife, Andrea, will soon be relocating to Hot Springs, along with their three sons. Reed, Graham and Jax. N

Charolette Royal

Josh Baker

Phantom Bark In The Park 2020 Anna Hogan

The Humane Society of Independence County to present “Phantom Bark In The Park 2020.” This Virtual Event, on Facebook and Instagram, will be held the week of October 26 – 31.

Activities to be held daily October 26 – 30 include: Slow Motion “Halloweenie” Dog Run plus Slow Motion “Any” Dog Run, Best Costume Contest, Disappearing Act, Crazy Cats, Alumni Strut and a Live Event on October 31, Rubber Ducky Regatta, to be held at the Batesville Aquatics Park.

Prizes will be awarded for the most “Likes” on Social Media for each daily activity and a Grand Prize awarded for the Live Event.

Watch for more information on our Facebook page @HSICSHELTER OR Instagram @hsicandbhb OR Call Megan at 870-262-7130.

All proceeds to benefit the Humane Society of Independence County, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. N

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Jonesboro Business Student First Recipient of Noah Reeves Scholarship Mallory Jordan

Patrick Patterson, of Jonesboro, is the first recipient of the Noah Reeves Scholarship. The Arkansas State University-Newport Noah Reeves Scholarship is an institutional scholarship designed to assist ASUN students who have faced adversity while trying to reach their academic goals.

apply to the Business Administration graduate program.”

Patterson said he is honored to receive this scholarship in remembrance of Noah Reeves (bottom left in image below). Noah was an ASUNewport student that lost his battle with cancer in early 2020. Noah was diagnosed with Grade IV Glioblastoma multiforme at age 17, a rare form of brain cancer not often found in children of his age.

Patrick Patterson

Patterson is a 2013 graduate of Cabot High School and is pursuing an Associate of Science in Business from ASU-Newport. He has big plans following his time at ASUN. “I plan to transfer to Arkansas State University to complete my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration,” Patterson said. “Once I have completed my bachelor’s, I plan to

While Noah was only with ASUN for a short time, his determination and commitment to his education inspired many to never give up.

To honor Noah’s spirit and bravery, ASUN created a scholarship with his namesake in hopes of keeping Noah’s memory alive and helping other students just as Noah wished to do himself.

“This scholarship lightens the financial burden of going back to college and allows me to save for future tuition as I continue my education with Arkansas State UniversityNewport,” Patterson said. “Noah Reeves and his story of courage and strength has touched and helped many people during hard times. Being the first recipient of this scholarship is truly humbling and will serve as motivation while pursuing my degree. Furthermore, it will be a daily reminder to never give up and continue to overcome hardships that may come in life. I will strive every day to represent Noah’s family and his memory with the utmost respect they deserve.”

For more information on scholarship opportunities visit asun. edu/scholarships. If you are interested in supporting students through charitable donations, please contact Teriann Turner, Advancement Officer, at teriann_turner@asun.edu. N

IMAD MEDICAL MENTORING Phil Brown

The IMAD Organization is proud to announce our newest partnership with WRMC. This amazing partnership will introduce a mentorship titled “Achieving Goals” to local high school students interested in furthering their education. IMAD has partnered with a team of WRMC physicians to help with mentoring students with entry level task of entering colleges and universities. There will also be a special program for students interested in a career in the medical field.

On Wednesday, September 30, we held our first meeting with middle and high school students at 6:00pm @ the IMAD community center (947 Hout Circle Newport, AR 72112). Pizza and drinks were provided and the theme of the dinner was ‘Achieving Goals’. The Doctors introduced themselves to the kids, explained their backgrounds, what they do as doctors and what their goals are. Some of the kids shared some of their own goals as well. There was a sign up sheet for students who were particularly interested in the medical field to start the process of pairing them up with one of our doctors for a mentorship.

The plan going forward will be for future monthly meetings that can keep us connected with the kids as well as ultimately finding a way to provide mentorship and shadowing opportunities for those who are interested in medicine. For more information please contact IMAD, Phil Brown 870-664- 6643 or email: immakingadifferencenow@aol.com. N

we’re proud to be named one of the

UACCB Outstanding Alumni Completes Doctorate Amid Pandemic Hannah Keller Flanery

Zelda Epperson-May faced a particularly unique set of challenges in light of the COVID-19 pandemic as she was working to complete her doctorate degree when the pandemic was declared.

“No one really knew what to do. We went from having to present our projects to not presenting them to presenting online. The plan changed about five times I think,” she said.

Epperson-May overcame the challenges and completed her degree in May 2020. However, the path to her terminal degree came with plenty of twists and turns.

The youngest of seven children, the Cave City native enrolled in classes at Arkansas College, now Lyon College, immediately after graduating high school. “But I decided working and getting paid was better than going to school where I had to pay money,” Epperson-May said, laughing. “I dropped out before the first semester was over. It was a hard lesson to learn because I still had to pay back my student loans. It took 10 years before I decided I needed to go back to college.”

Epperson-May worked for several years at Unifirst in Cave City before she was laid off. She began By Hannah Keller Flanery

Some things are simply meant to be. After 33 years in education, it is clear that Roger Ried is meant to be an educator. The bulk of Ried’s career has been in K-12 education with 29 years spent as a high school principal. Now, Ried has joined the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville as the director of the secondary career center.

“All the pieces just fell into place,” Ried said. “The timing has been very good.”

Ried grew up in a small farming community in Illinois and moved to Arkansas in the early 1980s. He attended Arkansas College, now Lyon College, and it was there he working at Arkansas Eastman, now FutureFuel Chemical Company, but again, layoffs robbed her of her job security. At age 30, EppersonMay enrolled at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville and began taking a few courses.

“I took my first class with Debbie Frazier in Accounting I. At the time, my major was accounting. I figured out pretty quick that was not what I wanted to do,” she said, laughing.

Epperson-May earned her bachelor of science in nursing from ASU and went on to earn her MSN in nurse anesthesia. She serves as the clinical lead CRNA at White River Medical Center where she’s worked for the last 10 years. Epperson-May said at first, it was the element of job security that drew her to the medical field, but she said she’s found her career to be very rewarding.

“I like the excitement of my job. When it’s intense, it’s very intense, but you’re saving lives. It’s never boring. You never have the same day. You might be working in the operating room, or you could be in the OB unit, or in the ICU. You work anywhere you might be needed,” she

Ried Joins UACCB as Director of Secondary Career Center

said. met his wife, Kathy. The couple has two children, Maggie and Luc.

While in college, Ried also met UACCB’s Chancellor Deborah Frazier.

“Debbie and I graduated from Arkansas College together. Through that connection with her, I knew coming to UACCB would be right in line with my standards and ideology. I attend church with Zach Harber, the director of career and technical education, so again I knew that having him as my immediate supervisor would align well with my morals. At Southside, it’s all about the students, and it is the same here at UACCB. It’s all about student

Epperson-May’s success in her academic and professional journeys led to her being selected as UACCB’s 2020 Outstanding Alumni. She said she encourages students who shadow at the hospital to utilize their community colleges and the resources they offer.

“I encourage them to try to pick a career path early on and research what it will take to work in that field and what education they will need. If your parents know someone working in that field, ask them if you can job shadow. And don’t let the curriculum scare you. Every class I took to become a CRNA had the word ‘advanced’ in front of it. I never would have gotten anywhere if I had let that scare me. You have to take it one class at a time, and there are so many resources available to you now.” N

Zelda Epperson-May

success. I just knew this would be a very good fit for me,” Ried said.

Ried said he also hopes to provide support to the faculty on campus. “Teachers are always having something added to their plate, and very little is ever taken away. I hope I can be a good support to them as well.” N

After 49 years of dedicated service to NADC’s Head Start program, Linda Cooper of Salem retired this month as Head Start Director. Hired in March 1971 as a teacher aide at Salem, she became a teacher aide II in 1973 and full-time teacher in 1974. She remained in that position until 1978 when she became Family Services Handicap Coordinator and shortly after that the Consortium Handicap Coordinator. In March 1988 she was named Program Director and in November 1989 she replaced Deltha Sharp after her passing to become Head Start Director for all programs in Fulton, Independence, Izard, Sharp and Stone counties where she remained until this month. Cooper is the last remaining NADC employee to have worked under every NADC executive director starting with Rayburn Richardson, Larry Goodwin, Brad Cummings and current director, Charlie Morris.

“It is almost unheard today to have an employee who has spent almost her entire working professional career with one organization,” said Morris. “During her time here as Director, she has accomplished many great things and oversaw the expansion of the program over the last 31 years. She has definitely been an asset and she should be proud of her career and the many accolades and compliments many around the state have of her.”

Asked what was the biggest difference she has seen over the years and she said in 1971 there was no state funded kindergarten and every child that registered was enrolled regardless of income. Today, Head Start is a free educational program geared to low income families and serving birth to five-year old kids instead of kindergarten age children.

“Head Start was one of the building blocks of President Johnson’s War on Poverty program in the mid- 1960s. Today, it continues to be one of the few programs that continues of having strong bipartisan support in Congress because of its success and foundation it creates in young people,” said Cooper.

She said she has been fortunate Head Start and NADC have provided her opportunities she wouldn’t have had otherwise. When she began at NADC, she only had a tenth-grade education but with NADC and Head Start’s help, she was able to further her education and eventually obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Arkansas.

“My passion has always been for the kids and their parents. Providing a quality program, great education centers and providing opportunities for parents to become Head Start aides and teachers are things that drove me,”

she added. “I have had great support from my staff, administration and Head Start funders to make a lot of that passion happen over the years. And because it is such a strong and vital program, it will continue for many more years down the road.”

NADC will never forget Linda Cooper as they are planning to name their Head Start and Outreach office building in Salem after her in honor of her legacy to NADC and Head Start.

“I mentioned to the board of directors a couple of years ago that I knew this day would come eventually and I wanted to do this in honor of her, since that was her hometown and much of her family remains there. People down the road need to know how much she was appreciated and NADC wants to recognize her value and dedication to our organization and growth,” Morris added. A ceremony for the renaming will be held at a later date.

Asked what her plans were for the future and she replied, “To survive 2020 and start 2021 healthy and optimistic and be involved with groups that support children and young families.” She said one of the founding concepts of Head Start is parents are a child’s first and most important teacher. She said, “That is true and all Head Start programs will always assist parents in being the best parent they can be.”

Currently, NADC operates 19 centers in 12 locations of combined Head Start programs in the five-county region plus many other low-income assistance programs. Administration offices are located in Batesville. Teresa Goings, current Early Head Start director, has been named interim Head Start director. N

Linda Cooper