ACHE officers announce retirement

Two of the founding members of the senior leadership team for Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) have announced their retirements.

Thomas Webb Jr., chief operating officer, and Dennis Bauer, chief financial officer, have announced they will retire from the ACHE. Though their official retirement date will not be until June 30, both will spend the next six months consulting and helping with the transition, a news release from ACHE said.

“Tom and Dennis have been an important part of the financial planning, construction of facilities, and subsequent execution of various physical and academic projects of the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) since 2014. Ever since the sale of Sparks Health System in 2009, these two have been an integral part of the vision of ACHE and its colleges and programs. I am proud to call these exceptional men my friends,” CEO Kyle Parker said in a statement.

Webb, a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, began his career as the assistant product manager for MFC Services. He joined OK Foods Inc. in 1981 as the sales manager and worked his way to president and COO. In 2009, he took the job as executive director for Sparks Health System and Fort Smith Regional HealthCare Foundation. His responsibilities included completing the sale of Sparks Hospital. In 2014, he was hired by Parker to assume the role of chief operating officer.

Bauer graduated from Arkansas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He became a certified public accountant in 1978. Bauer had a long career with Sparks Health System, working his way from director of business services to assistant chief financial officer.

Prior to joining ACHE, he was the CFO for the Fort Smith Regional Healthcare Foundation and the Degen Foundation.