The Scene: April 8 - April 21, 2018

The










News Events Staff Announcements

April 8 - April 21, 2018



Calendar of Events Birthdays

April 9 - 11 April 12 April 8 Rachel Triplett
SkillsUSA State Conference Empower Your Workforce April 9 Paula McGill
Hot Springs Convention Center Business Expo April 9 Jerelene Watson
134 Convention Center Blvd. Batesville Community Center April 10 Jennifer Michaud
Hot Springs, AR 71901 1420 20 Street April 11 Karen Breashears
th
Batesville, AR 72501 April 12 Dede Crowder
April 13 Bernice Gunter
April 10 April 17 April 13 Karla Yochum
Governor’s Commission District 8 Transition Fair April 14 Judith Zinser
on People with Disabilities Arkansas 4-H Center April 15 Kevin Griffin
Meeting 1 Four H Way April 15 Adrienne Robinson
Central Office Little Rock, AR 72223 April 15 Robert Trevino
10:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. April 15 Priscilla Watts
April 19 April 16 Festus Ugbade
Day at the Capitol for April 18 Charlye
April 10 Individuals with Disabilities Francis-Redmond
Department of Education Capitol Rotunda April 20 Deandriea
Blood Drive 10:00 a.m. Bass-Carrigan
The American Red Cross Bus April 20 Antoniette Thomas
located in front of #4 Capitol Mall April 20 April 21 Paula Morgan
If interested, Transition Luncheon
please call 501-684-4478 Russellville Field Office April 21 Mary Willingham
Lake Dardanelle State Park
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.





Celebrating Deaf History Month with Event at State Capitol
The
Deaf History Month
Celebration took
A place on Tuesday, March
13 at the State Capitol Rotunda. A publication by the
The celebration included a large Arkansas Department of
Career Education
contingency of teachers and Communication Department.
students from the Arkansas School
for the Deaf and speakers from UA- Director
Little Rock, Arkansas School for the Charisse Childers, Ph.D.
Deaf, Department of Education, and People gather to support the Deaf Communications Department
Department of Career Education. Community during a celebration at the
State Capitol in honor of Deaf History
Cheryl Sugg, Manager for Services Month. Chip McAfee,
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for Director of Communications
Arkansas Rehabilitation Services Jordan named the first deaf Dustin Barnes
said, “It was a wonderful opportunity president of Gallaudet University. Susan King
for us to come together with • April 8, 1864: President Caty Sample
the community, other agencies, Abraham Lincoln signs the Ellice Scales
and schools to celebrate the charter for Gallaudet University
accomplishments, abilities, and in Washington, the first school [email protected]
history of the Deaf Community.” for the advanced education of ARCareerEd.org
Deaf History Month is the Deaf and hard-of-hearing in
celebrated each year from March the world. @ARCareerEd
13-April 15. It overlaps two months • April 15, 1817: The first
to highlight three important permanent public school for
milestones in deaf history: the deaf, the American School
• March 13, 1988: The Deaf for the Deaf in Hartford,
President Now movement Connecticut, opens.
succeeds in having I. King

The

April 8 - April 21, 2018 Page 2



Judges Crown Ms. Wheelchair Arkansas 2018



udges crowned Kesha
Pilot of Hot Springs as Ms.
JWheelchair Arkansas 2018.
The pageant took place
across two days, March 16-17,
at the Marriott Hotel in Little
Rock with a fundraiser dinner
on March 16 and the crowning
ceremony on March 17.
Ashley Williams of Little
Rock received the award for
Ms. Wheelchair Arkansas 2018
Runner-Up. Williams will serve
as Ms. Wheelchair Arkansas if
Pilot receives the crown for Ms. Kesha Pilot is crowned Ms. Wheelchair Ashley Williams receives the award for
Ms. Wheelchair Arkansas 2018 Runner-
Wheelchair America. Arkansas 2018. Up.
The other contestants
included: Pateal Abazajian,
Courtney Bass, Jayme Boyland
Williams, and Madai Lopez-
Robels of Little Rock.
As well as sponsoring
the event, ARS employees
helped with judging, led an
informational session on ARS
programs, and attended both
days.
















Mare Simonar-Dykes, Board of Directors Shaylon Ware, ARS District VIII Manager; Mare Simonar-Dykes, Board of Directors for
for Ms. Wheelchair Arkansas; Shaylon Ms. Wheelchair Arkansas; Pamela Graner, Coordinator of Ms. Wheelchair Arkansas; and
Ware, ARS District VIII Manager; and Ellice Scales, ARA Vice President, posed for a picture before judging begins.
Ellice Scales, ARA Vice President, ask the
contestants a series of questions during a
round of judging.




























Tiffany Allen, Ms. Wheelchair Arkansas
2017, (right) visits with Ellice Scales, Ellice Scales, ARA Vice President; Shaylon Ware, ARS District VIII Manager; and Carrie
ARA Vice President during the fundraiser Woodall, ARA President, enjoy the delicious food at the fundraiser dinner the night before
dinner. the crowning ceremony.

The

April 8 - April 21, 2018 Page 3




New Wellness Program Offers Health Fair for Employees
everal AR Career Ed Around the Agency
colleagues participated harles “Chip” McAfee
Sin the new and improved has been named
wellness program offered to Cthe Director of
Arkansas State and Public Communications for the
School employees. Catapult Arkansas Department of
Health professionals conducted Career Education. In this
worksite checkups, which position, he will lead all
provided staff with lab communication efforts for the
diagnostic tests, biometric agency and its four divisions:
measurements, and an Adult Education, Arkansas
Rehabilitation Services,
individualized report with results Career and Technical
and recommendations from a Education, and the Office of
Nurse Practitioner. Skills Development.
He previously served
Little Rock ARS Field Office Hosts Team Building Day as the agency’s Assistant
Communications Director.

he Little Rock Field Office McAfee, a Texarkana
staff held its quarterly native, brings more than
Tgathering, where they took 20 years of leadership and
communications experience
part in celebrating birthdays to the team. He joined
and some team building the Arkansas Department
exercises. District VII Manager of Career Education in
Robin Hunt said the goal of 2013 as the State Director
the exercises was to learn and for SkillsUSA, where he
adopt strategies to ensure that increased membership and
everyone is working as a team implemented exciting new
to better serve clients. changes to the organization.
McAfee’s professional
background includes being
a television meteorologist,
ARS Employee Judges an Associated Press award-

at Mr. and Miss Deaf Teen America Pageant winning television reporter, a
broadcasting instructor, and
n Saturday, March 17 a school campus Technology
Director.
the Arkansas School for
McAfee received both
Othe Deaf hosted the Mr. his Master’s Degree in
and Miss Deaf Teen America Instructional Technology
pageant. The winners of the and Bachelor’s Degree in
pageant, along with those who Communications from Texas
came in as first runner-up, will A&M University-Texarkana.
receive college scholarships McAfee is the proud father
from the Rochester Institute of three children: Tabitha,
for the Deaf and Gallaudet MaryGrace, and Chance.
University. Cheryl Sugg,
Rehabilitation Area Manager for
the Services for the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing was one of the
judges for the pageant.

Pictured from left to right: Bryan
Sherman, pageant judge; Missy Merritt,
pageant judge; Will Gorum, pageant judge; Chip McAfee,
Ethan Pompeo, Mr. Deaf Teen America Director of
2018; Shannon Varner, Miss Deaf Teen
America 2018; Michael McMahon, pageant Communications
judge; and Cheryl Sugg, pageant judge.




Please e-mail any submissions for The Scene to [email protected].

The

April 8 - April 21, 2018 Page 4



ARCareerEd in the Community






Mena Conway West Memphis

















Community partners provide information
on their organizations during the West
Memphis Field Office's Transition Fair on
March 14.


District IV Counselors Shannan Faulkner
and Judy Skerbitz represented Arkansas El Dorado
Rehabilitation Services at the Mena
Workforce Open House at Rich Mountain
Community College.


Dominique Warner, District V Counselor,
provided information on the services ARS
Pine Bluff offers to students at the University of
Central Arkansas (UCA).




Fayetteville El Dorado Field Office staff leads a
session on college readiness during the
office's transition fair on March 16.



Bee Branch
Arkansas Rehabilitation Services
Pine Bluff Field Office participated in the
Jefferson County Transition Fair hosted by
Watson Chapel School District.


"Epiphany" Morrow, hip-hop artist from
Fort Smith Pine Bluff, spoke during the Transition Fair
hosted by the Fayetteville Field Office.



Little Rock Robin Tate, Counselor, and Judy

McDoniel, Administrative Specialist,
provide information on ARS at a Transition
Fair hosted by South Side Bee Branch
High School.










Fort Smith ARS Field Office hosts “Career
Fest,” a business expo to help connect
local students to business leaders. The
students learned about apprenticeships, ICAN (Increasing Capabilities Access
manufacturing jobs, emergency Network) and TAP (Telecommunication
management jobs, local OJT jobs, and Access Program) attended the annual
training available. Alzheimer Conference in Little Rock.