As Director of the Arkansas Rural Educator Network (AREN), Bobbie Jo provides oversight and management for a philanthropic project with 25 rural school districts across the state of Arkansas. The network is designed to increase collaboration among rural Arkansas district and school leaders and to provide customized school improvement support to partnering districts.

Bobbie Jo taught for 19 years in K4-4th grades in South and North Carolina, and spent five years as an instructional coach and TAP master teacher in Greenville, South Carolina. During her work in public schools, she was a mentor and evaluator trainer for the state of South Carolina.

Bobbie Jo was born in Chicago, but became a South Carolinian at the age of 5, where she attended public schools until graduation. She earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education at the University of South Carolina-Upstate, and a master's in education at North Greenville University.