Jo Alice Blondin, PhD

Jo Alice Blondin, PhD serves as Interim President of the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE), bringing more than 33 years of leadership experience in higher education and a lifelong commitment to student success, institutional excellence, and expanding access to education.

Prior to joining ACHE, Dr. Blondin served as President of Clark State College in Springfield, Ohio. Her distinguished career also includes serving as Chancellor of Arkansas Tech University–Ozark Campus and as Chair and Trustee of the Higher Learning Commission Board of Trustees, where she helped guide accreditation and quality assurance efforts for colleges and universities across the region.

Throughout her career, Dr. Blondin has been recognized for her collaborative leadership and her dedication to fostering student achievement, strengthening academic programs, and leading institutions through periods of growth, innovation, and transformation. She is passionate about building partnerships that enhance educational opportunities and preparing graduates to make meaningful contributions to their communities.

Dr. Blondin is pleased to return to Arkansas, where she previously lived and worked early in her career. She looks forward to reconnecting with the region and working alongside ACHE’s students, faculty, staff, and community partners to advance the institution’s mission of educating future healthcare professionals and improving the health of underserved communities.

Les Smith

Les joined the ACHE team in December 2019 as the Chief Business Strategy Officer following a 20+ year career at Arvest Bank. He was promoted to Senior Vice President & Chief of Staff in March 2024. Les also serves on the Board of Directors for Mercy Health Fort Smith Communities.

Les received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Arkansas and later a Graduate Banking and Finance Degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. He has been married for over 20 years to his wife, Monica. They have two children, daughter, Cameron, and son, Cooper.

Education

B.S. in Finance, University of Arkansas
Graduate Banking and Finance Degree from Louisiana State University

Accomplishments

Starting in banking as a teller with Arvest Bank in college and eventually being promoted within the same organization to Executive Vice President / Loan Manager.

Areas of Expertise/Interest

Sports
Construction & Real Estate

Teressa Brown, DPT, PhD

Dr. Brown serves as the Senior Vice President, Chief Academic Officer and Provost of Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) in Fort Smith, AR. Before being promoted to Senior Vice President & Provost, Dr. Brown served as the Dean of the ACHE School of Physical Therapy. Prior to joining ACHE, she served as Program Director at West Coast University in Los Angeles, CA and as a faculty member at Simmons University in Boston, MA. She received her Bachelors of Science and Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Simmons University in Boston, MA. In January of 2015, she completed her PhD in Health Professions Education at Simmons as well. Primary areas of research include instructional methods and assessment practices in anatomy education, predictors of success or difficulty in the DPT curriculum.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Health Professions Education, Simmons College, Boston, MA
Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study, Health Professions Education, Simmons College, Boston, MA
Doctor of Physical Therapy, Simmons College, Boston, MA
Bachelor of Science in Health Studies, Simmons College, Boston, MA

Accomplishments

Graduate, Education Leadership Institute Fellowship, American Physical Therapy Association
Orthopedic Specialty Certification, American Board of Physical Therapy Specialization
Certified Instructor for the Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program
Certified Advanced Clinical Instructor

Areas of Expertise/Interest

Human Anatomy
Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy
Professionalism
Interprofessional Education

Chris Brown

Some people think that being a CPA means Chris is a numbers person. In reality, he is a people person. He loves working with people everyday. Growing up a preacher’s kid, Chris was taught to look for opportunities to serve others. He strives to look for those opportunities each day. Whether as a CPA, worship leader, husband, father, or friend, these truths hold firm: serve people, love people.

Chris is a graduate of Arkansas Tech University and started his career in public accounting as a staff accountant in 2010 at Landmark CPAs in Fort Smith. He eventually rose to the roll of Audit Manager before coming to ACHE in 2021. Chris is a licensed CPA in the state of Arkansas. He was promoted to Vice-President & Chief Financial Officer in January 2022.

Education

2010 BSBA in Accounting from Arkansas Tech

Accomplishments

2016 – Arkansas Business Journal “20 in their 20’s” list
2016 – NWA Business Journal “Fast 15” list
2017 – Arkansas Society of CPA’s “Emerging CPA of the Year” award
2019 – Arkansas Tech “19 in 9” award
2019 – AICPA Leadership Academy Graduate

Areas of Expertise/Leadership

Leadership development through teaching and sharing life with people
Bow hunting
Razorback sports
Chelsea FC

Jeremy M. Welsh, PhD

Dr. Jeremy M. Welsh has held numerous leadership roles in higher education, most recently serving as the Vice President of Academics and Strategic Operations and the Chief Academic Officer at the University of Lynchburg. Prior to this role Jeremy served as the Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. Jeremy excels at driving strategic initiatives to enhance the institution’s mission and goals. He has overseen institutional teaching activities and academic administration. He has provided leadership to many areas within higher education, including all academic programs, library, art museum, public service activities, numerous academic centers, global education program, human resources, Title IX, and Campus Safety and Security.

Jeremy started working in higher education over 20 years ago, and his last institution started in 2013 as the founding program director for PA Medicine. Since that time, he founded the Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program — the terminal degree for PAs and the first civilian degree of its kind — and has served as Department Chair, Associate Dean, Senior Associate Dean, Dean of the College of Medical Science, Chief Innovation Officer, Associate Vice President, Associate Provost, and Vice President. He founded the Center for Innovation and Strategic Partnerships and the Professional Development Institute. As part of a community partnership, Jeremy served as the Chief Academic Officer at the Community Access Network from 2021-2023. He serves on numerous community boards working to increase access and affordability to healthcare.

Before joining the University of Lynchburg, he served as a founding faculty member at Clarkson University as the director of clinical education and at Le Moyne College as an emergency medicine lecturer and problem-based learning faculty member. Jeremy served the South Onondaga, New York, community for eight years as a firefighter and EMT and worked in numerous disaster medicine/management settings and humanitarian missions. Jeremy also has experience as a healthcare administrator and owner/operator of several small businesses. Including a property development company that buys, sells, remodels, and builds homes. Jeremy co-owned and operated an urgent care practice in upstate New York. Jeremy was honored to serve the Virginia Academy of PAs (VAPA) for over 11 year, including serving as the president/CEO for two years.

Joel Webb, MS

Joel Webb, Arkansas Colleges of Health Education Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, is responsible for defining ACHE’s long-term technology strategy and vision and ensuring technical excellence. Webb has over 25 years of experience delivering cutting-edge technology solutions to private and public sectors.

Before joining ACHE, Webb served as the IT Director at USA Capacity Solutions, Inc., where he offered advanced IT capabilities that provided continuous service to employees across North America. He also has experience with the federal government, working for both the United States District Court and the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Arkansas. Webb led strategic initiatives in next-generation infrastructure, cloud technologies, and disaster recovery.

Webb holds a Master of Science in Information Technology Management from Western Governors University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems from John Brown University. He also carries technical certifications from Microsoft, Dell, Cisco, VMware, and ITIL.

Natives of Fort Smith, Joel, and his wife, Tracy, have five children Gavin, Sam, Hunter, Mariel, and Lawson.

Education

M.S. in IT Management, Western Governors University
B.S. in Business Information Systems, John Brown University

Areas of Expertise/Interest

Overlanding
Outdoors
Music
Travel

Susan Devero

Susan Devero, a native of Oklahoma, received her Bachelor of Science in Journalism with minors in Advertising and Public Relations from Oklahoma State University. She has held several marketing positions and is currently the Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education.

Susan is active as a volunteer in the Fort Smith community and is currently serving on the United Way Fort Smith Board of Directors, Methodist Village Senior Living, and Step Up, Speak Out (a community movement to prevent childhood sexual abuse). She and her husband, Ed, live in Fort Smith and are the parents of two daughters, Grace and Gabrielle.

Education

Bachelor of Science, Oklahoma State University

Accomplishments

Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award – 2015
Noble Causes Award Recipient 2013
Leadership Fort Smith Class of 2012
Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce Health Coalition Committee
Past President of the Trinity Junior High School Board
Past Board member of the Hamilton House Child Safety Center
Volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association
Chancellor’s Leadership Council, Advisor 2009 – 2015
Lionheart Volunteer for UAFS
Chi Omega Fraternity Alumna Association

Tyler Farrar, JD

Tyler R. Farrar is a licensed attorney in Arkansas state and federal courts. He holds a Juris Doctorate, an M.A., and a B.A., all from the University of Arkansas. During law school, Tyler clerked for the University of Arkansas Office of General Counsel, Tyson Foods, and several law firms. Before joining ACHE, Tyler was the University of Arkansas’s Title IX Coordinator, overseeing the university’s legal compliance in all areas of Title IX. Tyler previously served as a staff attorney at Legal Aid of Arkansas, focusing on fair housing, consumer rights, and civil rights issues.

Education

University of Arkansas School of Law – Juris Doctorate
University of Arkansas – M.A. Political Science
University of Arkansas – B.A., Political Science

Accomplishments

Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s 40 under 40, Class of 2020
Selected to the 2019-2020 Inaugural Class of the Public Service Academy by the Arkansas Bar Association and the Clinton School of Public Service</li>
UA Law School Journal of Food Law and Politics
Frequent Guest Lecturer on the area of Title IX and Title VII issues

Areas of Expertise/Interest

Spending time with family
Traveling
Arkansas Razorback sports
Reading Non-Fiction
Legal Issues in Higher Education
Running/exercise

Vicki Broadaway

With over 20 years of diverse experience in workforce planning, leadership development, and organizational transformation, Vicki is a dedicated Human Resources professional committed to fostering a collaborative and high-performing work environment. Passionate about enhancing employee retention, she focuses on aligning HR functions with business objectives and accreditation standards.

Vicki’s career is marked by expertise in payroll and benefits administration, compensation strategy, compliance reporting, and policy development. She works closely with executive leadership to drive HR initiatives that optimize compliance and operational efficiency. Her ability to manage employee relations, tax management, retirement plans, software implementation, and training and development underscores her commitment to organizational success through strategic human resources leadership.

Currently serving as the Vice President and Chief People Officer at Arkansas Colleges of Health Education in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Vicki has been a part of this esteemed organization since January 2020. Previously, she held roles as Payroll & Benefits Administrator at the Area Agency on Aging in Fort Smith, and Payroll Coordinator/Human Resources at Cooper Clinic, P.A. in Fort Smith for 10 years.

Her early career included a role as an Account Analyst at Mike Harms Associates in Weatherford, TX. Additionally, she served as Secretary for the Staff Judge Advocate at R.A.F. Upper Heyford, England, adding a unique international dimension to her extensive professional background.