Phyllis Bell Phyllis Bell became the Executive Director for the Arkansas Residential Assisted Living Association (ARALA) in January 2022. Prior to this role, she was the Child Welfare Senior Advisor and Intern Director to Governor Asa Hutchinson. One of her most valued experiences in the Governor’s Office was helping to reduce institutionalization for Arkansas's most vulnerable youth and appropriate placements based on their individual needs. Her personal goal with ARALA is to increase home and community-based access to vulnerable adults and elderly Arkansans. Her CHOiCES TEDx talk focuses on the transformational impact an individual’s choices can make for their future and others close to them. This message aligns perfectly with the ARALA mission of Arkansas’s most vulnerable citizens being able to choose the least restrictive home environment based on their individual needs. Due to personal life experiences, she sees potential in others who are often overlooked. She values being a voice for the voiceless. In her leisure time, she enjoys cycling, running, kayaking, skydiving, quilting, and spending time with her family. HerMotto: “LIFE IS THE SUM OF YOUR CHOiCES”