Tammy Simmons, M.S., CCC-SLP, Executive Director

Tammy Simmons, M.S., CCC-SLP, executive director of ACCESS, is responsible for all aspects of administration, including budgeting, fundraising and board development. She also serves as the program director for ACCESS Academy.

Simmons began her career working as a speech-language pathologist at Easter Seals Arkansas. She worked at the Pulaski County Tri-District Early Childhood Program and was in private practice before co-founding ACCESS in 1994. A graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, she has a bachelor’s degree in communicative disorders, with minors in music and psychology, and a master’s degree in communicative disorders.

At ACCESS, Simmons specializes in technology, curriculum development and grant writing. She is certified in The DuBard Association Method®.

Simmons is a former Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 honoree and UALR College of Professional Studies 2010 Alumna of the Year. She is a member of The International Dyslexia Association. She is a frequent guest speaker and has served as a presenter at universities, at state conferences (Arkansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Special Show), at a National Reading Panel conference and at The Division for Early Childhood Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs & Their Families.

Simmons recently presented Expanding Educational Outcomes at the 61st Annual Southern Early Childhood Association Conference. She co-authored “Tools for Literacy and Communication: A Collection of Stories” (1994).

Simmons' speaking engagements include:

• Presenter, Advancing Knowledge, Enhancing Opportunities, International Division of Early Childhood Conference (2006)
• Keynote speaker, Tools for Literacy and Communication, 13^th Annual DuBard Symposium, Dyslexia and Related Disorders (2009)
• Presenter, Language Is the Key to Academic Success, ArkSHA 2009 Convention, Caring for Communication
• Presenter, Organization: Getting Ready to Learn, Arkansas Council for Exceptional Children 2009 Annual Conference, Embracing Student Success (2009)
• Presenter, Expand Educational Outcomes: Using Multi-sensory Tools Combined With Technology, Arkansas Education Alliance Annual Conference (2010)
• Presenter, Getting Organized, Learning Disabilities Association of Arkansas Annual Conference (2010)

Monika Garner-Smith, M.Ed., Preschool Director

Monika Garner-Smith, M.Ed., preschool director at ACCESS, is responsible for all aspects of the preschool curriculum.

Garner-Smith began her career as a special educator at Easter Seals Arkansas, working there for eight years before co-founding ACCESS Preschool in 1995. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, she has a bachelor’s degree in special education and a master’s degree in early childhood special education. She is certified in The DuBard Association Method®, as well as early childhood education (birth to Grade 3), elementary education (Grades K-6) and special education (Grades K-12).

Garner-Smith is a member of the Arkansas Federation of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Early Childhood. She has served as a guest speaker at the annual national Division for Early Childhood conference; at the Arkansas Department of Education Special Show biennial conference; and at several parent and professional training workshops.

Garner-Smith's speaking engagements include:

• Presenter, Advancing Knowledge, Enhancing Opportunities, International Division of Early Childhood Conference (2006)
• Presenter, Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum, Arkansas Council for Exceptional Children 2009 Annual Conference, Embracing Student Success
• Presenter, Beyond Books: Incorporating Literature Across the Curriculum, Central Arkansas Catholic Teachers Development Day (2009)

Cheri Stevenson, M.S., CCC-SLP, Director of Operations

Cheri Stevenson, M.S., CCC-SLP, director of therapy at ACCESS, is responsible for day-to-day management of the organization’s therapy department and manages the ACCESS Evaluation and Resource Center (AERC).

Prior to joining ACCESS in 1998, Stevenson administered speech-language evaluations and diagnostics for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in the Department of Pediatrics at the Dennis Developmental Center. Before that, she provided early intervention therapy and diagnostics for the birth-to-2 program at Easter Seals Arkansas. A graduate of UAMS and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, she has a master’s degree in communication disorders. She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ouachita Baptist University.

At ACCESS, Stevenson specializes in diagnostics for children ages 3 to 12 and serves as the lead speech-language pathologist on the AERC staff when diagnosing autism spectrum disorders. She is certified in the Neo-Natal Oral-Motor Assessment Scale®, The DuBard Association Method® and Interactive Metronome.

Stevenson is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Arkansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association, where she serves as the representative for the Therapy Advisory Council for Medicaid and QSource.

Kellie Wilhite, Director of Development

Kellie Wilhite, ACCESS director of development, joined the organization in December 2010. She is responsible for all aspects of development, including fundraising, grantwriting and special event management.

Prior to joining ACCESS, Wilhite was the executive director of Little Rock’s City Parks Conservancy, where she was responsible for grantwriting, board development, marketing, fundraising and volunteer management. She was director of annual giving and special events at Episcopal Collegiate School Foundation in Little Rock for more than three years. She is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University.

Wilhite served as a committee member for the Women’s Foundation 2010 Designing Women event and is an advisory member for the City Parks Conservancy.

Becca Green, Director of Marketing and Communications

Becca Green, director of marketing and communications for ACCESS, is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s marketing and communication needs, including strategic planning, collateral and content development, media buying, public relations, website management, grantwriting and more.

Green was previously a public relations account executive with Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods, where her clients included Cajun’s Wharf, The Peabody Little Rock and others. She was the lead public relations account executive for the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism. On behalf of the agency, Green handled media relations for Gov. Mike Beebe’s inauguration. Prior to her time at CJRW, Green was director of marketing and public relations at Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

Green has worked in the production departments at KUAR, the Little Rock National Public Radio affiliate, and at Clear Channel Communications in Fayetteville; as an account executive at the Arkansas Times; as a freelance writer for Arkansas Business Publishing Group and the Arkansas Times; and as a client services representative at Cap Media. She successfully negotiated and managed website redesigns for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, the Arkansas Public Relations Society of America chapter, the PRSA Southwest District conference and the Learning Disabilities Association of Arkansas.

Green has been a PRSA member since March 2005. She is the vice president of the Arkansas PRSA chapter and has served as the chapter's communications chairwoman and webmaster. Green is secretary of the Learning Disabilities Association of Arkansas and co-chairwoman for the Arkansas Autism Speaks chapter's 2012 Walk Now for Autism Speaks. She is past president of the Capitol View-Stifft Station Neighborhood Association.