The Board and Officers

Wendell Benevides is the webmaster for the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers. He was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness in Brazil. He enjoys great discussions on wide-ranging topics, and doesn’t shy away from controversial stances.

Tod Billings founded the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers. He served as its leader, president, advocate, and primary activist until 2011, shepherding the group through a major federal lawsuit that required the Arkansas Secretary of State to allow displays on the State Capitol lawn that represented non-religious reasons for the winter holiday season. Under his leadership, multiple organizations joined together under the mantle of the non-profit Arkansas Society of Freethinkers that he had incorporated in 1996.

Bern Bradley joined the ASF board in 2019. He can be found at many of ASF’s activities, and he leads the ASF hikes around Central Arkansas.

Chris Borecky is ASF’s President for the second time, has been a member of the board since the 2010 reorganization. He began his freethinking journey as a child in Catholic school where none of the teachers could answer questions such as, “Why doesn’t God show itself?” and “How can a just God send people to hell for being born into other cultures?” Chris spent his college years studying the psychology of beliefs, then earned an MBA in 2010. He discovered ASF in 2008 and acted as the group’s first Fundraising Committee chair. Chris believes freethinkers should develop innovative social networks that provide a variety of valuable benefits and generate genuine enthusiasm. He is active on the Facebook Group and can be seen at many of our events. Chris is the primary contributor to ASF’s blog.

Dawn Guerra is a high school Spanish teacher with a great appreciation for diversity and acceptance. She has a degree in theology that was sponsored by her Catholic church. That theology degree landed the death knell to her religious belief. Dawn joined the board in 2019.

Roger Hall is ASF’s Treasurer, Social Media chairman, and long-time board member. He commits most of his hours to his urban garden and his growing family. He identifies as a Deist and is active with the Boy Scouts of America.

Betsy Jones joined the board of the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers in 2018. She is a nurse and a high school teacher.

Jim Linsley is an ASF  board member. He has been agnostic since he was a teenager. As chair of the Social Committee, he works to create a safe and welcoming environment for all nonreligious people, and especially to those who are still “in the closet” or are getting their first taste of living without deities. Jim believes that a sense of community is a primary need for nonreligious people.

Mark Love has been a board member since 2010 and served more than a decade as Treasurer. He is committed to science education and has a master’s degree in instrumental science, a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, and worked as an electronic engineer for 20 years, designing both hardware and software. He is a strong atheist and skeptic who claims he actually looks forward to Jehovah’s Witnesses coming to his house just for the stimulating debate.

Anne Orsi has been a board member since 2010 and currently serves as ASF’s Secretary. She has also been President, Vice President, and chair of several committees over the years. She is one of the designated spokespersons for the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers and is a co-organizer of Reason in the Rock. She serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations and is an attorney and writer. Anne was born atheist and has yet to encounter evidence strong enough to persuade her otherwise. She believes that the First Amendment is the best Amendment.

Gerry Schulze has been a fixture in the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers since its earliest days. He has represented the Central Arkansas Coalition of Reason and other plaintiffs who have challenged First Amendment violations around the state of Arkansas. He currently represents ASF and a coalition of plaintiffs from various religious paths in the current lawsuit to remove the monument to the Ten Commandments from the State Capitol grounds. He joined the board in 2019. Gerry is a polyglot with a sense of humor in many languages.

LeeWood Thomas has been along for the ride since the very beginning of the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers in 1996 and usually can be found in the thick middle of things with a grin on his face. He is a devout Pastafarian and has been a freethinker most of his life. In addition to making statements to local media, he appears on radio talk shows, podcasts, and anywhere else someone might be listening. He volunteers with other community organizations, too. He co-founded the Saline Atheist & Skeptic Society (SASS).  He currently hosts a monthly ASF Meetup centered around disc golf.

Jennifer Wisniewski joined the board of the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers in 2017 and now serves as Vice President. She is a museum curator and a native of California.

Interested in a leadership position with the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers? Contact us!