JANEY SHEPHERD, PT
Janey attended University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) following high school and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education. After graduating from the physical therapy program at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in December 1998 she has spent the last couple of decades working as a licensed physical therapist in the state of Arkansas. When having a well-deserved moment of quiet time she likes to curl up with a good episode of either the Big Bang Theory or Vikings on the History Channel and sip a cold diet cherry limeade or nibble a good piece of dark chocolate. Other than her work, her greatest joy in life has been raising her daughter Madeline with her wonderful husband David. Of course when listing the immediate family she simply must include their fur baby Bonnie Blue who they adopted from the Sherwood, AR animal shelter (link below). Bonnie Blue is a very catlike Basenji mix who sometimes 'meows' at them and is quite the agile jumper! Janey loves a good steak and her favorite color is the color blue! If she could choose any animal to be, she’d choose a cat.
JILL CHAMNESS, PT
If Jill were to be any superhero, it would be the Flash! Just think of all the stuff she could get done in one day! Jill was born in Richmond, Indiana and moved to Little Rock in 1989. Currently, she lives in Cabot, AR. She went to Arkansas State University for her undergraduate and graduate school at the University of Central Arkansas where she studied physical therapy (PT) and graduated in 1998. Jill is a certified brain injury specialist! She has always had a love for children and watching them develop and grow. As she grew up, she became captivated with PT as she watched family members go through rehabilitation. She combined her two fascinations, child development and physical therapy to begin her career. When she can, Jill donates or volunteers at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Jill enjoys cooking, baking, writing poetry and spending time with her family. She has two kids with her husband Steve, 15-year-old Kyle and 10-year-old Zach. They have two dogs, Max, and Jedi. Her favorite color is green and her favorite thing to eat is Mexican food! The best part about Jill’s workday is watching her patients face as they reach a milestone or do something they couldn’t do before, but now can! Priceless! Jill’s is incredible at her job and we are all thankful to have her as part of the team.
MEGAN PARSONS, SLP
Megan Parsons is from Cabot, AR, where she currently lives. She is a soccer mom, Target lover, Sonic regular, and Netflix enthusiast. Her perfect day would be doing all these things, but with her family! Megan and her husband, Drew, have three children together. Griffin, Hadley, and Rylee! They also have a Golden Doodle named Ollie. Megan once had a trampoline blooper video that went so viral it ended up on The Ellen Show! Her favorite charity organization is Mamie’s Poppy Plates. It’s a wonderful organization that provides women with a cherishable gift if they happen to miscarry. The gifts they supply are beautiful, decorative plates that have a blank space in the center for footprints, handprints, and an inscription. Megan went to Harding University and graduated in 2011. She loves her job because it is truly rewarding. She’s motivated in helping kids to find their voice. Just to be a small part in their developmental journey is enough to keep her enthusiastic about her work. If she could be any superhero, she would be Super Woman. Saving the day might be second priority for her though, as the novelty of being able to fly would get in the way of her super saving abilities at least in the beginning. Megan is a joy to work with and we all appreciate her dedication to the kids at Arkansas Children’s Therapy Group.
BECKY TOWNSEND, PTA
Becky is a Physical Therapy Assistant who attended California State University Fullerton and Cerritos College. She has always had a passion for fitness and helping others reach their goals! Her hobbies include leading aerobics and braiding hair. She enjoys spending her time away from work walking her yellow lab Rhett with her hubby Joshua and her three children Jacob age 10, Rosie age 9 and Violet age 6. If she could pick any super hero to be she’d choose Wonder Woman! Fun fact: Becky was selected Miss Corn Queen of California in 2010! She loves the color pink and is a big fan of Zaza’s pizza and salad.
MURPHY PERKINS PT
Murphy is from Fort Smith, AR and currently lives in Maumelle. She went to Arkansas Tech University and then graduated from Harding University in 2018. Her favorite charitable organization is the Arkansas Dream Center (ADC) who’s mission statement is “empowering the local church with resources to strengthen relationships within their communities.” She volunteers and donates here whenever she can. When she’s not working with ADC or with the children here at Arkansas Children’s Therapy Group (ACTG), then she might be baking or doing CrossFit! She has two dogs with her husband, Jacob Perkins. An Australian Shepherd named Lola who is four years old, and a Lab named Chevy who is seven years old. If Murphy could be any animal in the world, it would be a panda! They get to hang out, look adorable, and snack all day. The best part of Murphy’s job is going outside with the kids to work on their gross motor skills. She really lives up to her Instagram handle; @BestPTEver.
BRENNA STEFANOV, OFFICE
Brenna works in our front office. She considers her hometown to be North Little Rock, but she was born in Japan! On the Yokota Air Force Base, both of her parents were in the military. She graduated in 2020 from Gould’s Academy for Esthetics. One of her hobbies is doing her nails and her favorite color is green! She also enjoys cooking and her favorite thing to eat is ramen. If she could be any animal, it’d have to be a cat, that way she could lay out in the sun all day with her own cat, Clove. Brenna’s favorite part about coming to work is the general atmosphere of the clinic and being around her coworkers. We value Brenna’s hard work; she always keeps the schedule and paperwork in tip top shape!
KIM RICKETT, SLP
Kim chose to become a speech therapist because she loves working with children and helping them. She graduated in December of 2006 from Arkansas State University. Her hometown is Sheridan, AR but currently she resides in Cabot, AR with her husband and 4 daughters along with an Aussie doodle named Moose and 3 bunnies named Peaches, Rue, and Lulu. When she’s not painting the world pink or eating pizza or sushi (hopefully separately) her hobbies include reading and hanging with the little crew. If Kim could be any animal, she would be a dog, they are by far her favorite animal. The best part of her day is seeing children make a progressive leap and reach goals! The accomplishment Kim is most proud of is successfully homeschooling her 4 girls for the past 11 years. Her favorite cause are missions through Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, where Kim also teaches a preschool/kindergarten class.
JIM LUSK, SLP
Jim became a speech therapist because he felt it would be very rewarding to work one - on - one with children to improve their language and speech abilities which he feels are very important to one’s quality of life. In 2020 he completed his graduate program at the University of Central Arkansas after first attending the University of Mississippi for undergrad. Though he now resides in Conway, Arkansas Jim made his way here all the way here from his hometown, New Albany Mississippi. Jim collects vintage vinyl records and was voted most likely to succeed in highschool. If Jim could be any animal, he would be a monkey. They are fun and silly but still highly intelligent. He will eat anything grilled and hia favorite color is purple.
BAILEY ADAIR, COTA
Bailey attended Arkansas Technical University in Ozark and graduated in 2021. She has always had a fascination with physical therapy, but when she began learning about occupational therapy, she knew where she was going to take her career. Bailey is from Monticello, AR and currently, lives in Morrilton, AR. She loves animals and hopes to own a farm one day. She would be an eagle if she had a choice. She admires their beauty and how observant they are. If she was an eagle, she’d spend all day in the blue sky, her favorite color. Her favorite organization help out with is the Miracle League in her hometown, Monticello! When she’s not working, she hangs out with her nephews as often as she can! Mack and Carson who are six years old and Avery who is one! She loves pizza and her dogs Oakley and Iggy. A Blue The best part of her work is watching the children succeed. Bailey is a wonderful addition to Arkansas Children’s Therapy Group, and we appreciate her her time here.
There is always room on the team!
See our CAREER PAGE for instructions on how to contact us about openings on our fabulous pediatric therapy team!
BAILEY VOLKMAN, COTA
Bailey is from Vilonia, AR and currently lives in Conway. She studied at the Baptist Health College of Little Rock and the University of Central Arkansas. She then graduated in 2021 with two of our other certified occupational therapist assistants, Heath Land and Alex Julian! Her favorite color is yellow, and she spends her free time sewing and crafting. All while eating pizza. At home, she spends time with her husband, Douglas, and their baby, Jude. The whole family enjoys the company of two golden retrievers and one German Shepherd. Their names are Oliver, Duke, and Raven. St. Jude Children’s Hospital and K9’s for Warriors are the two organizations closest to Bailey’s heart. When she is at work, her favorite part of the day is playing with the kiddos! And if they were playing superheroes? She would be Batman; he has the coolest gadgets and who wouldn’t want to drive the Batmobile? Bailey saw that occupational therapy could profoundly affect people’s lives in a positive way. She has an aptitude for child therapy and that’s why she is a crucial part of our team.
SLOAN CROSS, SLP
Sloan chose this profession to be part of a child’s growth and help each child she works with successfully develop their own voice. She attended the University of Arkansas to complete her degree. Fayetteville, Arkansas is her hometown, but she now resides in Bryant, Arkansas. This certified Taekwondo Instructor and 3rd degree black belt enjoys sewing and running or sipping some coffee while reading a nice novel. She has the patience of a saint so while she rarely sees red it’s still her favorite color. Her favorite superhero is Iron man. He is one of the few who uses their determination, skills and intellect to make the world a better place. He didn’t just happen to fall into ooze or luck into alien powers.
SHELBY COWGER, SLP
Shelby’s hometown is Cabot, Arkansas, where she currently lives. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a master’s degree in 2011. She always knew she wanted to work in the medical field and one on one with children. When she took a sign language course at university, her interest in speech pathology blossomed and it became her passion. Getting to know the local families and watching their children play to learn is the best part about her work. Shelby is also an immense help to families that are managing Dysphagia because her own little girl has this diagnosis. She loves the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and Augmentative and Alternative Communications (AAC) in general. Shelby and her husband, Nick, have two children together. Katie and Caroline. They also have a golden doodle named Lucy. Although if Shelby could be any animal, she would be a cat. She could use a good cat nap! Her favorite thing to do is hang out with her family. They might go shopping or get a coffee, but mostly, they just enjoy being outside. Her favorite place to volunteer at or donate to is the Arkansas Children’s Hospital and her favorite thing to eat is pizza and cheese dip! Fun facts about Shelby; she cannot touch construction paper as the texture is absolutely maddening. We can’t blame her! Shelby’s name was also in the Smithsonian Institute for an entire year after she won a contest in grade school. Shelby is a therapist with a true love for helping others. Especially kiddos! That’s why we are so grateful to have her as part of the ACTG team.
ALEXANDRIA JULIAN, COTA
Alexandria, or Alex, had the highest GPA in her class, but she was also the youngest. She studied at the University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College and the Baptist Health College of Little Rock. She graduated in 2021 with two of our other certified occupational therapist assistants, Heath Land and Bailey Volkman. She is from Heber Springs and enjoys road biking, playing guitar and woodworking. Her favorite color is purple and her favorite thing to eat is tacos! Alex chose this profession not only with the hopes of playing all day but with a passion for helping people, especially kiddos, live their best life! When she’s home, she’s hanging out with her hound dog, Charlie, her lab dog, Nebula and her Australian Shepherd, Sam. Her favorite way to give back to the community is by leading bible study. If Alex could be any animal? A dog! Who wouldn’t want to nap and eat treats all day? Alex is a very skilled and attentive therapist; we are incredibly lucky to have her.
LEAH BURSON, OFFICE
Leah has an odd fixation for data entry. Luckily this is a perfect fixation for organizing the office and keeping things strait for everyone. She currently resides in Cabot, AR but grew up in Bentonville, AR. When not enjoying a nice big bowl of ravioli (her favorite food) her hobbies include piano and photography. She loves the color Phtalo green because just plain green would never do…She and Her husband J.T. are the proud parents of a fur baby named Fett, a rescue pup and Saint Bernard mix. Her favorite part of each day is when the therapy patients stop by to show off the crafts they have completed. Her favorite superhero is Iron Man… who doesn’t love when genius is used for good?! A favorite memory from childhood was the time spent on her grandparents’ horse farm riding horses.
BAILEY SMITH, OT
Bailey fell in love with the profession while volunteering with the Special Olympics during her junior year of highschool. The following summer she job shadowed an occupational therapist and knew for certain it was what she wanted to do. She graduated in August of 2022 from the University of Central Arkansas. She has come all the way from Van Buren, AR to settle down in Conway, AR. When not reading, crafting or enjoying a dance this blue and pink loving therapist enjoys the company of her little Pomeranian named Harper sage. She feel the best part of her job is getting to learn something new every day. Superman is her favorite superhero. He can fly and he always does what is right. One of her big accomplishments has been starting a program called Abstract Dance Company for children with special needs.