Sharon Garratt has had a passion for Latin American language and culture since first taking Spanish in junior high school. After majoring in Spanish at Purdue University, she worked for the Comite de Apoyo, a nonprofit funded by the American Friends Service Committee, to help educate and support women factory workers across the border, while pursuing teacher certification at Pan American University in South Texas. She subsequently taught bilingual kindergarten for five years in Mission, Texas. She has spent the past 23 years teaching ESL in Rogers, AR. 

Sharon has been involved in numerous social, environmental, and animal welfare organizations over the years. In 2012, she joined the Arkansas Chapter of Partners of the Americas and was selected as a mentor to Ecuador with a group of Youth Ambassadors. She has been on the Board of Directors since that time. Participating in Partners is a gratifying way to “Connect, Serve, Change Lives,” as our mission states.

Dr John Ball is a medical doctor who worked with the Bolivian American Medical Association through the 90s in Bolivian public hospitals.  He has been active in providing hemodialysis to developing world countries though a charity The Bridge of life. He currently is active in Bolivia with an NGO dedicated to assisting in Healthcare called the Alianza Boliviana.  His goal is to assist Partners in expanding its programs in Bolivia.

​The POA Arkansas Chapter’s first African-American President, Dr. Margaret Louise Sirman Clark, was inducted into the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame on April 20, 2022. The Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame honors women like Dr. Clark who have made significant contributions to their community or the state, including by positively impacting women and girls and by creating new opportunities for women and for society in general.

Dr. Clark worked as a French professor at the College of Education and Health Sciences for 26 years and the College of Arts and Sciences for 25 years at the University of Arkansas. She served as the first African-American president of the Arkansas Foreign Language Teachers Association and of the Arkansas division of the American Association of University Women.  

Through the Chapter, which partners with the East Bolivia Chapter, Dr. Clark has overseen multiple educational exchanges to and from Bolivia, as well as to and from Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, and Venezuela. She is also a mentor to staff for Partners’ Youth Ambassadors program. 

“It was my love of languages and cultures that got me contacted to serve on the Arkansas-East Bolivia Partners of the Americas,” Dr. Clark said. “And it has truly been a group to which I have given a lot of service, not only as president but also as the chair of its education committee, a role in which I still serve.” Dr. Clark has lived her life as a community servant looking for ways to improve the world around her by following her passion for art, culture, and foreign languages. She follows the motto, “Service is the rent we pay for living.” 

Christine Smart is an Academic and Mentor in the Grow Your Own Program in the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville). In 2019, as part of the 50th anniversary of the English Language Fellow Program at the U.S. Department of State, Christine was selected to return to Uzbekistan as an English Language Specialist to conduct a "Go Back, Give Back" project conducting two weeks of teacher training workshops for the university professors who teach English as a foreign language. 

Lorraine became involved with Partners of America when she attended the Arkansas Partners of the Americas-East Bolivia Reception for the Kay Kraeft Scholarship on Friday, October 13, 2023 in Conway, AR. She was listening to a Brahms Trio performed by three Bolivian students from the University of Central Arkansas. She donated to the scholarship that evening and attended the general meeting the next day. Lorraine believes that Partners of the Americas is an excellent organization, whose members are very devoted to the welfare of the community.

Phil Serafini's professional preparation includes programs of study in agronomy, liberal arts, rural development and rice cropping. He has a lifetime of experience in synergistic activities such as working with scientists to subsistence farmers in West Africa and Bolivia. Phil has designed, supervised, and trained others to conduct production agricultural and institutional support for agricultural research  in Bolivia, Uganda, Niger, Morocco, southern Africa, Nepal, Mali, Haiti, and West Africa. Some of Phil's appointments include U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Swamp Development (Sierra Leon), Research Farm Manager, Sahalian Center (Niger), Research Assistant Professor, U of A, International Agricultural Programs (Arkansas), and Partner and CEO of Sistemas de Riego Valley (Bolivia). He has developed and managed two commercial farms totalling 4.800 ha as well as Bolivia's largest irrigation equipment company Mr. Serafini is fluent in Spanish, French, and English. 

McKenzie McMath is an experienced international communications professional with a passion for Hispanic and LATAM culture and language. Her specialties include and integrated marketing approach to strategic communications, facilitating transcreation, and the study of people through the lens of cultural anthropology. Lo mejor esta por venir! 

Dr. Howlett is passionate about connecting, serving, and changing lives, so joining Partners of the Americas resonates with her life's mission. In 2022, Dr. Howlett facilitated a POA Chapter Project, POA Pen Pals, connecting high school students and teachers in Arkansas and East Bolivia. She was recently awarded a USAID POA Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Youth Development Travel Award to design an English Language Development workbook for an environmental institute in the Dominican Republic.

Tina studied foreign languages and art history at the University of Connecticut, and her first jobs were coordinating conferences for organic farmers and organizing international tours for a French company. Her primary career was in the field of TESOL education, serving as an ESL Lead Teacher and Curriculum Specialist for the Rogers Public Schools and an Assistant Professor of TESOL at the University of Arkansas. She is especially proud of spearheading the Arkansas "Seal of Biliteracy", a partnership with ARKTESOL and AFLTA. Dr. Howlett is a children's book writer and illustrator. She is fluent in Spanish, French, Italian, and English. 

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Jackie Lamar recently retired from the University of Central Arkansas where she was Professor of
Saxophone and Jazz for 32 years. She holds the Doctorate of Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance and Master of Music Education from the University of North Texas and the Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Central Arkansas. She is an active member of the Arkansas-East Bolivia Partners of the Americas Chapter and serves as Cultural Chair and Vice President for Central Arkansas. She completed a trip to Santa Cruz Bolivia in 2018 receiving a Partners Travel Grant. Following that trip, she has initiated 2 projects: Music Stands for Bellas Artes School in Santa Cruz, and the Kay Kraeft Scholarship for Bolivian UCA Music Students. In retirement, Dr. Lamar is enjoying performing for musicals and shows. She continues to perform on soprano saxophone with the Arkansas Saxophone
Quartet and is bassoonist with Central Arkansas Chamber Winds.