Nate Looney, a 2012 graduate of the Clinton School of Public Service, is a Senior Development Officer at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. In addition to his Master of Public Service, Looney earned a concurrent juris doctor from the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.
Along with fellow Clinton School graduate Maggie Benson (’14), he worked with the Arkansas Bar Association to establish the Public Service Academy for member lawyers who seek to serve their community in any capacity, including on school boards and city councils, with volunteer organizations or in the legislative, judicial, or executive branches of government. The Public Service Academy enrolled its second class in November 2021.
What do you most enjoy about your role at Arkansas Children’s Hospital?
I love that my job at Arkansas Children’s allows me to work with so many passionate and committed people. From team members to donors, these folks come from all walks of life, but they have one thing in common—they care deeply about the future of kids in this state. Despite all the progress that has been made in improving child health in Arkansas, the fact remains that the state is one of the least healthy places to be a kid. Not only is philanthropic support central to changing this fact, but it also is critical to meeting the health-related needs of the kids that we serve. Every day I get to work with supporters who understand the importance of philanthropy. It’s an honor helping connect their passions with the needs of the health system. Their philanthropic investment in our work has saved and will continue to save lives.
What does public service mean to you?
I can start with my background. When I was at the Clinton School and finishing my work at the Bowen School of Law, I had no intention whatsoever of practicing law. It was the furthest thing from what I wanted to do and what I thought I would do. I ended up getting a job as a visiting assistant professor at the University of Arkansas in the Department of Political Science, and I really thought that’s where I was going to be. After learning of some family health matters, I made a quick decision to return home to Jonesboro.
I ended up having the opportunity to work with Waddell, Cole and Jones, an excellent, full-service law firm in Northeast Arkansas. Long story short, an opportunity to join Arkansas Children’s presented itself after an unsuccessful run for office in 2016. I was blown away by Arkansas Children’s mission and the work it was doing across that state to improve child health. Things happen for a reason. Even though the race did not end as I hoped it would, it stoked a passion in me to work in the public service arena in a full-time way.
To me, public service is recognizing that we’re all in this together. There is a lot of need that exists in the world that’s beyond the walls of our own lives. It’s also about taking action; it’s about taking steps, however small, to provide support to those that may be struggling, hurting, or just in need of help. It’s a commitment to taking action to serve our collective interests so that we all have opportunities for a better life.
What is one thing that most people don’t know about you?
I love barbecue and I love cooking. I’d say that one of my favorite things to do is to just spend the day outside smoking something like a pork butt or chicken. I use a PK Grill – a Little Rock grill – which I think is pretty cool. It’s been all trial and error – and a lot of error – but I love it. I think that’s something most people don’t know about me
What was your favorite class in your time as a Clinton School student?
I would say that the Practicum project was my favorite experience at the Clinton School. We had a lot of great professors and great discussions in our courses, but the Practicum was a real-world opportunity to use the knowledge we’d learned throughout the Clinton School program. Also, we just had a great team. The project we worked on involved bringing together different service providers to more holistically serve those affected by family violence and abuse in Central Arkansas.
What skills did you learn at the Clinton School that you still put to use in your job or life today?
Something I think about from Dr. Singhal’s class and something that challenges me daily is the concept of positive deviance. It’s something we covered a lot in his classes – the idea that the answers to some of life’s most difficult challenges could be out there right now. We just need to look, listen, and learn from those doing exceptional work in different communities. When you look at all the potential out there, it’s exciting. For me, personally, I think it allows me to approach programs and projects differently. It forces me to remember that I always need to listen and understand much more than I talk. I think it’s something that I encounter quite frequently in my work today.
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