About Us

Building bridges to independence for Arkansans with autism

The Arkansas Autism Foundation (AAF) was founded in February 2017 by local Arkansas-based autism advocates who want to make a direct impact on the autism community in Arkansas.

AAF is a completely volunteer driven organization and we are committed to helping individuals and families with autism across the lifespan.

Mission Statement: Building Bridges to independence for Arkansans with autism

What We Do:

Community Events
Community Support Grants
Project and Program Grants
Marley Mencer II Memorial Scholarship
Joy's Memorial Scholarship
Fundraisers to support our mission

Arkansas Autism Foundation - GuideStar Profile

Board of Directors

LeAndra Grant

Board Director

Annette Mencer

Chairperson

Annette has called Arkansas her home since 1976. She graduated from UALR with 2 BA degrees and a M Ed. Counseling with a rehabilitation certificate as well as being a Certified Autism Specialist. She has been in the educational arena for the past 15 years and married for 27 years. She has a beautiful daughter who is active in the autism community and aspires to be an OT and a vibrant son who was diagnosed with ASD at the age of 9. In 2010, Autism rates were 1 in 110 and Arkansas was severely lacking in education and advocacy. Since her son’s diagnosis, she has spent every spare moment supporting, advocating, and educating Arkansas families by being a founding member of the Arkansas Autism Foundation, a parent representative on the Governors’ Council for Developmental Disabilities, and volunteering with community events.

Kally Smith

Vice President of Marketing, Secretary, and Sensory Santa Chairperson

Born and raised in Arkansas, I am a former college athlete and proud member of Delta Gamma sorority. She earned my Bachelor’s and Associate’s degrees from the University of Arkansas–Fort Smith and hold a Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. With 13 years of experience in education, she has worked in both elementary public school and special education settings.

Kally is deeply passionate about advocating for all children, especially those with disabilities across all environments. She bring a strong commitment to service, along with extensive experience volunteering and engaging within my community. She value networking, building meaningful connections, and supporting advocacy efforts related to IEPs in schools. She is also passionate about presenting on inclusion in our community, sharing resources, and helping create and support meaningful events that empowering families and strengthening our community

Belle Veiga

Board Director

Belle was born in Brazil and fell in love with the United States when she was an exchange student in 1994. She moved back to Arkansas in 2009 and has been a resident of Little Rock since 2011. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing and has been working as an RN at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit since 2012. She has also worked as a nurse at Pediatric Plus Developmental School.

She has a son on the autism spectrum and is a founding member. Belle also serves as the marketing committee chair and she feels very honored to be involved with this foundation.

Dawn Itzkowitz

Treasurer, Co-Chair of the Grants Committee, and Co-Chair of the Autism Festival and Walk

Dawn is the mother of two young men in their twenties. Her youngest son, Bryce was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and she has been an advocate for Bryce and others on the spectrum, and has been volunteering in the autism community since 2005. She is one of the founding members of the Arkansas Autism Foundation, is the Past Chairperson and currently serves as Treasurer Secretary. It is her passion to make a difference and help others. Dawn is also the inaugural chairperson of the Blue Tie Blue Jean and also serves as the co-chair of the Autism Festival and Walk. Although Dawn and her family currently reside in Charleston, SC, she continues to assist with the growth of the Arkansas Autism Foundation. Dawn is originally from Maryland, where she met her husband Brian, and has also called Arkansas, Florida and South Carolina her home.

Adrian Raney

Governance Committe Chair

Adrian spent 12 years in the Air Force as an NCO, and over 7 years in federal law enforcement as an agent in West Texas. He has experience as a PTO Treasurer, school festivals and parades, a Girl Scouts Troop Leader, a Booster Club President, and United Way Non-Profit Grant Review Panel Member. Recently graduated from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock and increasing his western Arkansas network, he continues to find and connect with other parents with children on The Spectrum and just experiencing behavioral issues. He is “Dad” to two teenage girls who both like sports, cheer, and band, Ellyana (nearly 16 and very high functioning) and Breya (13). They live together in Hot Springs Village and participate in local Hot Springs and Jessieville functions as well. Adrian likes to play basketball and sing/play an instrument in his local church when he can. Adrian works for Prudential Advisors as a Financial Advisor and specializes in families with special needs financial planning among other things.

Terri Roberts

Autism Festival and Walk Co-Chair

An Arkansas resident since 1995, Terri is one of the founding members of the Arkansas Autism Foundation. She is married to Chris Roberts and is a mother of two boys and two girls, with her youngest on the Autism Spectrum. She has worked as an Associate Wealth Management Advisor with Northwestern Mutual since 2005 but prefers to spend her time helping others in the community
She has previously served on fundraising committees for Camp Aldersgate, the Arkansas Heart Ball, the THV Summer Cereal Drive, as well as Autism Speaks but currently devotes her time solely to the Arkansas Autism Foundation.

Dr. Cindy Fong

Vice Chairperson and Co-Chair of Grants Committee

Cindy has a background in counseling psychology and is mom to three children, two of whom have an autism diagnosis. She has served in various capacities over the years, advocating for individuals with autism or other special needs. Currently, in addition to being chair of the grants committee for the AR Autism Foundation, she serves on the Lifespan Respite Coalition and is Vice-President of the Community Advisory Board at Partners for Inclusive Communities.
Dr. Fong is a trained Sibshop facilitator and recently had the opportunity to travel with her son to Peru to teach workshops to families at a newly opened autism clinic in Cusco. She is honored to be involved with the Foundation and looks forward to seeing more innovative programs and opportunities developed for individuals and families with autism in Arkansas.

Jess Jennings

Marketing Committee

Jess Jennings hails from the charming town of Cabot, Arkansas and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications. Jess has over a decade of experience in the radio industry and has been programming KSSN 96 at iHeart Radio for the past six years.

Jess and her husband, Blaine, are proud parents to three wonderful kids, all of whom call Arkansas home. Their son, Cedric, was diagnosed with Autism at 14. She's passionate about helping other parents discover local resources to support and assist their families and is thrilled to be part of the Arkansas Autism Board. When she's not on the air or advocating for autism awareness, Jess loves spending quality time with her family and exploring the natural beauty of Arkansas.

Jill McCollum Flaxman, MD

Board Director

Dr. Jill Flaxman is one of the founders of the Arkansas Autism Foundation. She has worked for 17 years as a Cardiovascular Anesthesiologist with Southern Regional Anesthesiology Consultants (SRAC). She has served an extended term as the CEO for SRAC, and is currently serving as Chief of Staff for CHI St. Vincent Little Rock. She is also on the CHI St. Vincent Board of Directors. She and her husband (also a Board Member), Jon Flaxman, have a passion for developing a sustainable program for Arkansans on the spectrum who need help transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. They have two sons, and the oldest was diagnosed with high-functioning autism early in childhood. They are committed to improving access to resources for children and families with social and behavioral developmental delays.

Jon Flaxman

Board Director

Jon Flaxman is one of the founders of the Arkansas Autism Foundation. A long-time volunteer and board member in several charitable organizations, Jon’s livelihood is in the graphics and printing industry. He and his wife (also a Board Member), Jill Flaxman, have a passion for developing a sustainable program for Arkansans on the spectrum who need help transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. They have two sons, and the oldest was diagnosed with high-functioning autism early in childhood. They are committed to improving access to resources for children and families with social and behavioral developmental delays.

Brittany Hale is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and the owner of A Better Approach, ABA. Brittany has been actively involved in the autism community for over 15 years and is a member of the Arkansas Association of Behavior Analysis. She has always had a strong passion for serving others, which began at a young age. While in college, she served on the board for her sorority, Delta Zeta, where she dedicated many volunteer hours to philanthropic efforts supporting individuals who are speech and hearing impaired. Brittany was first introduced to the field of Behavior Analysis in 2012 through the Arkansas Autism Waiver, where she quickly developed a passion for the work and the impact it has on individuals and families.

Today, Brittany owns her own business, allowing her to serve families across Arkansas through both the Arkansas Autism Waiver and ABA therapy services delivered in the home, clinic, school, and community settings. In addition to her professional work, Brittany is a dedicated wife to Chris and mother to her two children, Gracie and Drake. She enjoys going to the lake, traveling with her family, planting flowers, and visiting vintage shops and flea markets. Her personal and professional experiences continue to shape her commitment to supporting the communities she serves.

Stacy Pomeroy

Board Director

Stacy grew up in Southeast Arkansas. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Stacy has worked with juveniles most of her professional career. She worked as a case manager for Pulaski County Juvenile Court, a case manager for a foster care agency and an adoption coordinator.

After living in Minnesota and Tennessee from 1997-2019, she and her husband moved to Monticello and opened Pomeroy’s Hometown Ace. They have two adult children Logan who lives in Alabama and Amy who lives in Monticello. Amy was diagnosed with Level 1 Autism when she was 22. Stacy is excited to join the Arkansas Autism Board to help others and learn more about services in the community.

Kaylee Robinson

Governance Chair and Volunteer Chair

Kaylee has had a passion for serving others since she was a child. Growing up, she was greatly involved a variety of organizations that support children with a range of abilities. She finds joy in being just a small part of someone’s story. In 2021, Kaylee became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and has a mission to provide quality, compassionate, and trauma-informed care in the Central Arkansas community. Kaylee loves pouring into the lives of children in a community that has given so much to her. She wants to continue learning, growing, and advocating for the autism community in whatever capacity she can. In Kaylee’s free time, she loves reading, kayaking, hiking, and spending quality time with her baby boy and incredible husband, Greg.

Zoe Roberts

Board Director

Amy Cobb

Board Director

Amy Cobb and her five children call the city of Malvern home. Amy's 26-year career working with individuals with disabilities serves her well as she advocates for her own kids. All of them were adopted from foster care or special needs adoption agencies, and all of them have challenges like autism, epilepsy, intellectual delays, traumatic brain injury, and/or partial blindness. Amy earned a doctorate degree from Mississippi State University in clinical counseling and has a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling. She also serves on the Arkansas Children's Hospital Medical Advisory Board.

Brittany Hale

Board Director