Bost Foundation

2012 - 2013 Foundation Board of Trustees

In 1996, the Bost Foundation was established “to support the programs and services provided by Bost Human Development Services, Inc. by cultivating community awareness and developing funding sources so as to lessen the agency’s dependence on government funding.”  The Bost Foundation has a separate trustee board of twenty members.

Charles Blaschke - President

Charles Blaschke was born and raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  Mr. Blaschke attended St. Boniface Catholic School and St. Anne’s Academy.  Charles received an Associate’s Degree from Westark Community College in 1973 and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Arkansas Polytechnic College in 1975. After graduation, he was employed as an accountant for Continental Oil Company. In 1976, Charles obtained the designation of Certified Public Accountant.  He returned to Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1979 and was employed by the Merchants National Bank as an internal auditor. In 1989, Charles moved to their Trust Department. In 1994, he became a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor.  In 2004, Charles had the opportunity to join the First National Bank Trust Department.

Mr. Blaschke and his wife, Frankie are active members of the Immaculate Conception Parish.  They  have two sons Benjamin and Andrew and five grandchildren, Michelle, Amber, Jimmy, Damian, and Zachery.

Charles' primary hobby is fishing, with a strong emphasis on fly fishing.  He is currently the President of the Fort Smith Flyfishers Association.  He is also a Certified Fly Casting Instructor through the Federation of Fly Fishers.

George McGill - Vice President

George B. McGill, an independent insurance agent with All State, is a member of the Bost Foundation Board of Trustees. Mr. McGill holds a Bachelors of Science in Education and a Masters in Business Administration. George has been recognized by the City of Fort Smith with the Spirit of the Frontier Award and by the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville with a Community Service Award. Mr. McGill is also affiliated with the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors.

Lee Ann Niedecker - Treasurer

Born in Fort Smith, I moved with my family to Danville, Arkansas as a child.  I am a 1989 graduate of Arkansas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in accounting and economics and finance.   After graduation I spent 8 years with the public accounting firm of Baird, Kurtz & Dobson.  In 1991 I passed the CPA exam to become a Certified Public Accountant.  In 1997, I joined the trust department of First National Bank of Fort Smith.

My husband, Scott, and I have two sons, Benjamin and Remington. We are members of Heritage United Methodist Church in Van Buren.  I love to travel, enjoy working in the yard, reading and spending time with my wonderful family.

Marilyn Foster - Secretary

Marilyn Foster, wife of Donald Foster, is a long time member of the Bost Foundation Board of Trustees. Mrs. Foster is a homemaker who holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dominican University and a Masters of Arts from Loyola University. Mrs. Foster has been an active sponsor of the Fort Smith Art Center Art Competition for Special needs individuals as well as sponsoring various contests for the Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs. Marilyn has been awarded with the Spirit of the Frontier Award by the City of Fort Smith for her outstanding example.

Ken Turner - Bost Board Representative

Mary Ann Arnold

Mary Ann Arnold is a long time member of the Bost Foundation Board of Trustees. Mrs. Arnold is a retired Preschool Teacher with specialized child development training. Mrs. Arnold has received the Governor’s Volunteer Excellence Award – Volunteer of the Year, Girl Scout Woman of Distinction Award, and is a Leadership Fort Smith Graduate. Mrs. Arnold is currently the Volunteer Ministries Coordinator – St. John’s Episcopal Church is involved with the General Federal of Women’s Club (GFWC) – Jr. Civic League, Lincoln Childcare Center Board, and the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) Board. Mary Ann and her husband, Dave have 3 children and 3 grandchildren.

Sharon Wright

Sharon Wright lives in Russellville, AR with her husband, Jeff and their 14 year old son Jared.  She is a real-estate agent for Coldwell Banker James R Ford and Associates and also works at TJ Maxx.  Sharon is a 3rd year board member of the Russellville United Way.

Rob Coleman

Rob Coleman, owner and Vice-President of ERC and husband to Jessica Coleman, is a member of the Bost Foundation Board of Trustees. Mr. Coleman received his education from John Brown University. Mr. Coleman is affiliated with the Fort Smith Arts Center Board of Directors, CCIM Member, Lirban Land Institute Member and the Fort Smith Home Builders Association.

Ricky Cross

Ricky Cross is married to Vickie Cross.  Ricky has worked at AT&T for 37 years, most recently as External/Legislative Affairs.  Mr. Cross is the chair of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee and also sits on the board of directors for 188th Fighter Wing/Fort Chaffee Community Council.

Allyn Donaubauer

Allyn is the First Vice President of Investments, a Wealth Management Advisor, and a PIA Portfolio Manager at the Donabauer Group, a Merrill Lynch Private Client Group that opened their Fort Smith office in April of 1980.  Allyn is a member of the First United Methodist Church in Fort Smith, a board member of The University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, AR, President of the We Care Foundation, a member of the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith's Foundation Advisory Board, and part of the Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation Advisory Council, among several other organizations.  He was named the #1 Financial Advisor in Arkansas by Barron's Winner's Circle on the "America's Top Financial Advisors: State-by-State" list from 2009-2011.

Chuck Fawcett

Chuck Fawcett is principal broker and owner of Chuck Fawcett Realty in Fort Smith, Van Buren, Greenwood and River City Realty. Chuck stays busy with real estate but still manages to donate his time and energy to numerous community organizations. He is an active supporter of the Ft. Smith Razorback Club, Ft Smith Chamber of Commerce, Greater Ft. Smith Homebuilders, Special Olympics, Bost, University of Arkansas Fort Smith and Fort Smith Air Show. Often one of the first people contacted by community organizations whenever help is needed for fund raising or project coordination, Chuck puts in countless hours of personal time to promote charitable events. He and his wife Shannon have four children, Hank Fawcett, Nikki Knoebel, Rachel Russell, Aimee Edens, six grandchildren, Morgan, Cason, Gracie, Alli, Will and C. J. Chuck is a lifelong resident of Ft. Smith.

Terry Johnson

Chester Koprovic

Chester Koprovic, chairman of the Board of Butler& Cook, is a member of the Bost Foundation Board of Trustees. Mr. Koprovic received an Associate of Arts from the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith.

Eric Pendergrass

Eric Pendergrass, attorney and husband of Meighan Pendergrass, is a member of the Bost Foundation Board of Trustees. Mr. Pendergrass received a Bachelors of Science JD, LLM (Agricultural Law) from the University of Arkansas and is Vice-President and General Council to Burford Distributing, Inc. Mr. Pendergrass is affiliated with YEL, as the Chairman of Leadership and Professional Development, Fort Smith Parks Commission and he is the Parks Partners of Fort Smith, Inc. Treasurer.

James Russell, M.D.

James Russell, MD, husband of Rachel Russell, is a member of the Bost Foundation Board of Trustees. James attended Medical School at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville and now is a physician employed by Sparks Health System. Dr. Russell holds a position on the Board of Trustees at Sparks Hospital.

Janice Beran

Susan Johns

Chris Melton

Shannon Fawcett, Events Coordinator

Shannon Fawcett is the Events Coordinator for Bost Foundation as is responsible for a large part of Bost’s community outreach programs, in particular the very popular annual spring fund-raiser Grape Escapes and the up and coming Chef and Winemaker Dinner.

An alumna of our local schools, Shannon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Secondary Education from the University of the Ozarks, which she took into advanced English studies in the Master’s Degree program at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. For several years beginning in 1991, she taught writing to college students at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith (then known as Westark) before moving on to work with charitable organizations. In 1998, her organizing work with charities caught the attention of the National March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation which hired her to be its Northwest Arkansas Division Director, a position she held for several years before joining Bost Foundation in 2008.

Shannon learned about voluntarism, promoting the potential of women, and improving the community as a member of the Fort Smith Junior League and is still a sustaining member today. She and Chuck, her husband of 30 years, live in Fort Smith and have four children and six grandchildren.

479-478-5556 / sfawcett@bost.org

Kent C. 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