Parker to step away from ACHE leadership post

Kyle Parker, the first president and CEO of the Fort Smith-based Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE), is transitioning out of the top leadership post effective June 30 and will become president emeritus. A successor has not yet been named.

The move was announced Monday (April 13) morning by the higher education institution. The president emeritus title will allow Parker to continue serving as an ambassador for the institution, ACHE noted in the statement.

“On behalf of the board of trustees, we extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Parker for his extraordinary leadership and unwavering dedication to ACHE,” said Mike Barr, chair of the ACHE Board of Trustees and president of Fort Smith-based WeatherBarr Windows and Doors. “His vision transformed an idea into a thriving institution, and his impact will be felt for generations to come. As we honor the legacy that brought the organization to this point, we also affirm our responsibility as a board to build upon the strong foundation established by Dr. Parker and sustain our mission to educate compassionate healthcare professionals. The board looks forward to a period of discernment in finding Dr. Parker’s successor. The institution is blessed with a strong leadership team in place to guide us through this significant transition.”

ACHE was formed when Fort Smith-based Degen Foundation used part of $70 million from the sale of Sparks Health System in November 2009 to what was then Naples, Fla.-based Health Management Associates to build the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine at Chaffee Crossing. The $32.4 million college and its 103,000 square feet is home to 600 medical students.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to help build ACHE and work alongside so many dedicated individuals who share a passion for improving health care through education,” Parker said. “I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together and look forward to seeing the institution continue to grow and thrive.”

ACHE includes five programs: the ARCOM, School of Physical Therapy (ACHE PT), School of Occupational Therapy (ACHE OT), Master of Science in Biomedicine (MSB), and Master of Public Health (MPH). Also part of ACHE is the Research Institute Health & Wellness Center (RIHWC), a 317,000-square-foot facility that includes a biomedical research lab.

“Parker’s vision and leadership have been foundational to the creation and growth of ACHE,” the institution noted in Monday’s statement. “As the institution’s first hire in April 2014, he played a pivotal role in shaping its direction from the very beginning. From those early efforts, Parker led the formation of ACHE, establishing a bold and innovative model designed to address critical healthcare workforce needs.”

Parker was selected to lead ACHE in early 2014. The Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority donated 200 acres to the school for it to locate at Chaffee Crossing in east Fort Smith. The school opened there in July 2017. The first graduating class was in 2021. The institution now includes more than 850,000 square feet of buildings on a 542-acre campus with a 12-acre park, student housing, and a mixed-use development featuring a grocery store, restaurants and retail spaces. Multiple building projects are underway on campus, including a new bank.

When he was first named ACHE president and CEO, Parker said the plan was to do more than just build a school.

“We’ve said it before; it’s not about building a school, it’s about recognizing needs in our area, in Arkansas and Oklahoma, and across the U.S., and using our resources to fulfill that need,” Parker said in early 2014.

ACHE said an event will be held later to recognize Parker’s leadership. Parker recently received the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s 2026 Business Impact Award.