Board of Directors

2012 - 2013 Bost Board of Directors

An eleven-member volunteer Board of Directors meets at least six times annually and governs Bost, Inc. Two members on the Bost Board are designated community representatives through the By-Laws; namely, Junior Civic League and The Bost Consumer-Parents-Staff Group. The Bost Board of Directors also serves as the Board for two other closely held corporations:  Independent Living, Inc., that is the HUD holding corporation for three group homes, and the original Bost School for Limited Children, Inc.  As Bost's services grow,

Diana Jones, President

Diana Jones has been an active Board member at Bost, Inc since 2007. Diana is the Manager of Information Systems at Data-Tronics Corp, located in Fort Smith, AR. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science as well as a Masters in Computer Resources. Diana is a member Delta Mu Delta Honor Society and an active member of the Webster University alumni group.

Ken Turner, Vice President

Ken Turner is the parent of a Bost consumer.

Craig Rivaldo, Treasurer

Craig Rivaldo graduated from The Southwestern Graduate School of Banking, Southern Methodist University and from Arkansas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, a minor in Economics –December 1987.  Mr. Rivaldo is currently the President/CEO of Arvest Bank of Fort Smith.

Craig serves as a board member of University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Foundation, board member and Treasurer of Bost, Inc, board member of the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of Noon Exchange Club.

Craig and his lovely wife Mary Jo have one son, Connor.

Tammy Chase, Secretary

André Good

Andre has been on the Bost Board of Directors since 2009.  He is currently serving on the City of Fort Smith Board of Directors, representing Ward 2.  He has also been active in the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, the Leadership Fort Smith Alumni Association (LSFAA), the Fort Smith Adult Education Advisory Council, the Fort Smith Chapter of Young Emerging Leaders (YEL), the Juneteenth Planning Commission (JPCI), among many other organizations.

Charlie Needham

Charles F. Needham has been an active Bost Board member since 2009. Mr. Needham holds a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation from the University of Central Arkansas.

Joanne Swafford

Joanne Swafford was born in Locust Grove, Arkansas.  Her father worked in construction and consequently she moved often as a child. Mrs. Swafford moved Fort Smith August 1942 where she attended and graduated from Fort Smith High School.  Joanne attended Fort Smith Junior College before marrying Hugh Swafford and having three children: Jeffrey Lee, Sarah Ann, and David Hugh.  Joanne now has eight grandchildren and five great grand children.  Mrs. Swafford has devoted her life to volunteer service in the community, specifically with the Junior Civic League, St. Edwards Auxiliary, Girl Scouts, and the First Methodist Church.

Cecilia Tu

Cecilia Shiu Tu was born in Chung-qing, China on November 27, 1940.  Mrs. Tu graduated Taipei teacher's college in Taiwan in 1960.  Cecilia married Dr. Yien-I Tu in 1964 in Ottawa Canada.  Mr. Tu is a  retired Economic professor from University of Arkansas.  Mr. & Mrs. Tu have two children:  Amy 43, and Andy 41.

Mrs. Tu taught for two years Taiwan and one year in Hong Kong.  She was a  Sears Retail Manager from 1975-2005.  Since 2005, Cecilia has been a realtor with Coldwell Banker Harris McHaney & Faucette, in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Cecilia Tu is a member of The Metro Area Board of Realtor in Northwest Arkansas.  She has also been a member of a service organization from 1974-2011.  She also works with the Multi-handicapped children association, and serves on the Richardson Center Board.  Mrs. Tu also spends time with the Lifestyle College for Living, United Cerebral Palsy, Fayetteville Women's Charity League, AAEA, U of A Women's Club, and the U of A Business Women's Club

Mrs. Tu worked to set up a program for Fayetteville Special Education in pre-school and school age children with special needs.

Cecilia is an author with a Chinese cook book that was published in 1974.  Mrs. Tu is also interested in sewing, jewelry making and design, and travel.

Roger Young

Roger Young is the Student ADA Services Coordinator at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.  He has been with Westark College and the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith since he retired as an officer from the Army after 21 years of service.   His professional qualifications include being a Biofeedback Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Arkansas, National Board of Certified Counselors and has served six years on the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling.  He received specialized training in memory improvement strategies, biofeedback, and stress management from the nationally recognized Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas.  Roger has given literally hundreds of presentations and/or workshops on these subjects both locally, statewide, regionally, and nationally,  including the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and regularly gives training seminars at the university.

Teresa Armer

Teresa Armer of Van Buren is a lifelong resident of Crawford County, Arkansas.  She is the Crawford County Clerk and has been with the County Clerk's office for 19 years.  Ms. Armer is an active member of the Crawford County Clerk's Association, Appointee to the Arkansas County Clerk's Legislative Committee, Treasurer for the Crawford County Central Committee, Vice-President of the Van Buren Kiwanis Club, a member of the Van Buren Women's League and a 2011 graduate of Leadership Crawford County.

Teresa Armer is the mother of the late Kristen Armer, a consumer at Bost, who passed away in October 2009 at age 12.  Ms. Armer is the founder of The Kristen Armer Memorial Scholarship, and a member of the Tranverse Myelitis Disability Associate.  Ms. Armer is an active fund raising volunteer for Arkansas Children's Hospital and Arkansas Special Olympics.

Stephanie Riffle

Dr. Erica Horn

Erica Nicole Horn, MD, practices Obstetrics & Gynecology at Sparks Hospital in Fort Smith, AR.  Dr. Horn gained her Medical Education at the University of Illinois College of Med at Rockford, Rockford, IL and performed her residency at Illinois Masonic Hospital.  Upon completion of Dr. Horn's residency, she relocated to Fort Smith for employment with Sparks Hospital.  Since moving to Fort Smith, she received her Board Certification from the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Dr. Horn is happily married to Thomas James and they have two lovely dogs.  She is originally from the Windy City.

Kent Jones, Executive Director

Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Kent has been the Executive Director for Bost since May 1986. He received his B.S. in Social Work in 1973, and M.S. in Community Services Planning in 1984 from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

With education and work in residential settings, special education, and human services administration, Kent’s career has included direct-care work and managing services for individuals with disabilities in prior organizations.

With his wife, Mamie, and four boys, Kent moved to Arkansas believing they would move on in a few years. After 20 years they are still here, due to “the excellent family life environment and tremendous support from the community.

Arkansas provides a much greater level of disability services and programs with fewer resources than most regions because of the systemic efficiencies and local community support. It has been rewarding to see the development of services and programs that Bost has experienced.

We are proud that over this period and due to the leadership from the Board of Directors and excellence of employees Bost has grown from a single county program to a presence in 34 counties of Western Arkansas with a full array of children and adult services for individuals with developmental and related disabilities.” Kent continues to be involved with local, state and national civic groups and associations related to the field of disabilities.

Currently he is Treasurer for the State Developmental Disabilities Providers Association (DDPA), and on the boards of the Fort Smith Area Manufacturing Executives Association, Workability Americas, and the Sparks Hospital Advisory Trustee Board. He also serves as CEO of the Bost Foundation and Bost’s related employment company, Westark Diversified Enterprise.

Previous experiences include Fort Smith Chamber Education Committee chairperson, Arkansas Governors Developmental Disability Council, Leadership Fort Smith and President of the Fort Smith Southside Rotary Club.

479-478-5550 / kjones@bost.org

Download PDF of Board Policies