About Us
“Our team brings extensive experience in holistic prison ministry, uniting former prison chaplains, reentry nonprofit leaders, ministers, security officers, probation officers, mental health and program specialists, and citizens who have lived through incarceration themselves. Together, we embody stories of resilience—from children who’ve endured the pain of parental incarceration to the support of men and women courageously rebuilding life after prison. This unique blend of professional and lived experience gives our team unmatched comprehension and a compassionate, effective approach."
Our Team.
Rev. Dexter McDonnell
Assistant Director
Rev. Jerry Tolbert
Spiritual Programming
Roselyn Smith
Executive Administrative Assistant
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Ned Butler
Director Work Programing
Rev. Eddie Hughes
A.M. Housing Manager
Rev. Jeremy Shockey
P.M. Housing Manager
TBD
Human Resources
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Rev. Ramond Woodall
Lead Case Manager
About The Founder/Director
Meet Rev. Tommy Bourgeois
For over twenty years, I’ve walked alongside broken people—because I’ve been one myself. As a graduate of Adult & Teen Challenge of Arkansas, I know firsthand what it means to be lost. I entered the program a drug-dealing, drug-using mess. I’m also the child of a formerly incarcerated parent, so the pain of separation and the struggle for restoration are deeply personal.
I spent nine years serving as a prison Chaplain, including time in a maximum-security facility. There, I witnessed lives transformed—and others trapped in cycles they couldn’t escape. When I asked men and women why they kept returning to prison, their answers were heartbreakingly consistent: toxic environments, systemic barriers, and a lack of safe housing and real job opportunities.
So I prayed. I asked God for a solution—something that could break the cycle, restore families, and rebuild communities. I believe Freed-En-Deed Ministries and the Build Up work programs are His answer. They’re more than initiatives. They’re pathways to purpose, dignity, and lasting change.
Tommy Bourgeois – Ministry & Reentry Leadership
Tommy has devoted his career to restorative ministry and reentry support. A former Senior Staff Member with Teen Challenge of Arkansas, he also served as Reentry Coordinator and on the Street Reach’s “At-Risk Children’s Ministry” team.
His outreach experience includes AmeriCorps service as Big Brothers Big Sisters Outreach Coordinator in Northwest Arkansas, STARS Coordinator for Job Corps of Little Rock, and Reentry Program Coordinator with Goodwill Industries. Tommy also served as a Reentry Specialist for Ambassadors for Christ' Pathway Home-4 program.
Academically, Tommy graduated Summa Cum Laude from Youth Challenge International Bible Institute, majoring in Biblical Studies with a minor in Social Services. He earned recognition as Social Science “Student of the Month” at National Park Community College before transferring to Arkansas Tech University, where he edited the NEBO Literary Magazine and completed a Liberal Arts degree with a minor in Journalism/Public Relations.
Tommy’s blend of ministry, education, and outreach equips him to lead initiatives that restore lives and strengthen families.
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Tommy currently serves as Pastor of Center Point Online Church. He and his wife, Linda, are blessed with one son and two grandchildren.
MEET THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
About The Chairman of the Board
Ryan Rednour
For more than eleven years, I have stepped into a maximum-security prison week after week—holding church services, teaching Bible studies, and leading small leadership groups for men searching for hope and direction. I didn’t begin prison ministry with a strategic plan; I simply responded to the burden God placed on my heart. Over time, the men I met and the stories I heard shaped my calling in ways I could never have imagined. Within those walls, I witnessed both profound brokenness and extraordinary moments of transformation that only God can bring.
As I continued teaching and mentoring, a clear pattern emerged. Many men who truly desired change still found themselves returning to prison—not because of a lack of will, but because of a lack of support. Outside the gates, they faced unstable environments, limited opportunities, and relentless pressure to fall back into old cycles. Their struggles stirred me deeply, and my prayers shifted—not only for salvation inside the prison, but for a pathway that could follow them beyond it. I prayed for something more than a class: a solution that could restore dignity, rebuild families, and create real avenues for success.
Alongside ministry, I serve as a Center Manager for a medical equipment company—a role that has strengthened my commitment to excellence, compassion, and serving others in every sphere of life.
Member of the Board of Directors
Renie Rule
Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors
William R. Boone, Sr., D.Min.
Army USA, Ret.
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Dr. William R. Boone, Sr. is a committed servant of Christianity’s Triune God. He has been actively involved in various ministries of the church since being baptized in 1958 at the First Baptist Church Stuttgart, AR. He is Pastor Emeritus of Greater Community Missionary Baptist Church of St Robert, MO. He currently provides leadership as Outreach Pastor for First Baptist Church Main North Little Rock, AR where Dr. D.L. Richardson is Pastor.
He has earned the following Degrees: BA-Arkansas Tech 1970, Master of Divinity-Morehouse School of Religion in 1973.
MA- Azusa Pacific College in 1980 and DMin-Drew University in 1987.
He has preached and lectured, both as a civilian and military chaplain, in Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Korea, Japan, England, Brazil, Africa and across the nation. He is active as a church leader. He served as the 1st Vice Moderator of the Southwest District Association of MO; 5th Vice President of the Missionary Baptist State Convention of MO; and the Southwest Regional Coordinator for the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. Home Mission Board.
William authored “The Integration of a System Eclecticism and Liberation Theology in Marriage Counseling,” “The Legacy of African Americans in Pulaski County Missouri,” and This is our Story, A Historical Portrait of the Missionary Baptist State Convention of Missouri,
Secretary of the Board of Directors
Akissi Brooks
Member of the Board of Directors
Work Program Development Chair
Codney Washington,
We Center We Build, Founder/Director
At WE Center WE Build, Codney focuses on improving the community through youth mentorship, vocational training and the manufacturing of affordable homes to improve neighborhoods and make the dream of home ownership possible for those who otherwise may not have the ability to purchase a home.
Member of The Board of Directors
Zoya Miller
Zoya Miller is a Housing Staff Attorney with Legal Aid of Arkansas’s Eviction Prevention Project, where she represents low-income Arkansans facing eviction and housing instability. Her work is aimed at preserving client’s housing, preventing displacement, and keeping families safely sheltered. She regularly handles a high volume of cases and engages in litigation, negotiation, and client advising focused on maintaining long-term housing stability for vulnerable communities across the state.
Before joining Legal Aid, Zoya served as Program Director for the Court Observation Arkansas Program at the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law Center for Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform. Here, she led the Court Observation Arkansas (COAR) Program that collected and analyzed data on policies, procedures, and sentencing outcomes in Arkansas district courts. She supervised large research teams, coordinated statewide data-collection efforts, and prepared written reports for stakeholders interested in improving transparency within the criminal legal system. Her work examined how courtroom processes affect defendants and the broader functioning of Arkansas’s criminal courts.
Zoya also served as a Community Engagement Fellow for the Center, where she helped organize, implement, and moderate listening sessions that gathered community input on criminal justice practices in Arkansas.
Zoya earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. She served as the Executive Editor of the UA Little Rock Law Review Editorial Board and earned top-paper distinctions in several courses, including Research, Writing, and Analysis I, Specialized Legal Research, and International Environmental Law. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Lyon College, where she graduated magna cum laude
Member of the Board of Directors
Wonder F. Lowe, MPA, BSHE, CMHL, LFD, AFC
Wonder Lowe is a visionary nonprofit professional with 20+ years of experience directing grassroots projects, managing large-scale budgets, and creating programs that help organizations achieve dynamic goals. Mrs. Lowe’s leadership in program and project management, fiscal management, fundraising, team building, and development has helped her succeed in previous roles in banking, community advocacy, healthcare, and community development. Mrs. Lowe, an entrepreneurial executive, has been recognized for her community work by the US Small Business Administration, the IRS VITA Program, the American Heart Association, and Goodwill Industries.
Mrs. Lowe serves as Executive Director of Southwest Housing Association, Inc. and Greater Second Care Center in Little Rock, AR, and as an Adjunct Instructor for American History and US Government with the Shorter College Prison Education Program. She holds licenses as a funeral director, life insurance agent, Notary Public, and is an accredited financial counselor. Mrs. Lowe earned her MPA from Arkansas State University (Cum Laude, 2017) and a BS from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (1998). She also serves on the Board of Directors for ACHANGE. A member of Greater Second Baptist Church for over thirty years, she serves as a Trustee, a member of the GSBC Health and Wellness Ministry, and the Activities Chair of the Union Baptist District Health and Wellness Committee. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, cooking, traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband Charles, their four children, and seven grandchildren.
Member of the Board of Directors
Carlton Shutes, CEO/Director
of
Views Organization.org.
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“Carlton Shutes Jr. is a relationship banker, community advocate, and nonprofit founder committed to expanding opportunity in underserved communities. A proud Little Rock native, Carlton’s early experiences shaped his passion for helping others break free from survival mode and step into a future filled with possibility.
He is a graduate of Henderson State University and currently serves as a Business and Consumer Relationship Banker, where he equips individuals, families, and small businesses with financial tools that support long‑term stability and growth.
His work centers on empowering people to make informed financial decisions that strengthen both their households and their communities.
Carlton is also the Founder, CEO, and President of Views Organization Incorporated—a nonprofit dedicated to youth development, mentorship, and community impact. Through this work, he champions programs that nurture leadership, expand access, and inspire the next generation to dream boldly.”
Member of the Board of Directors
Meet The Council of Mentors to the Board of Directors
Mentors and Counselors to the Executive Board of Directors
Executive Director Teen Challenge, Retired
Rev. Tim Culbreth
Reverend Tim Culbreth retired after 50 years at the helm of Teen Challenge of Arkansas. Rev. Culbreth also served as interim President of the National Board of Teen Challenge Inc.
​Currently Family Pastor/Counselor at Family Church
Former Administrator of Chaplains for Arkansas Department of Corrections
Rev. Joshua Mayfield
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Contact
303 W. Scenic Hill Dr.
Little Rock, AR 72118
501-954-0056
