Members Announced for Inaugural Clinton School of Public Service Dean’s Advisory Board

Dean Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto has announced members of the inaugural Dean’s Advisory Board for the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas.

The 21-member board is composed of leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, and includes three ex officio members: President Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States and Founder and Board Chair of the Clinton Foundation; Dean DeFrancesco Soto; and Bruce R. Lindsey, Counselor to the Chair of the Board for the Clinton Foundation.

“I’m excited to see a blend of old friends and new faces serving on the Clinton School Dean’s Advisory Board,” said President Clinton. “The board brings together a diverse group of professionals from across the country who are leaders in their respective sectors. Each member will bring their own unique insights and will provide critical counsel and support as the Clinton School of Public Service continues to grow and find new ways to expand its impact.”

“I want to express my gratitude to the members of the Dean’s Advisory Board for their time and service to the Clinton School,” said Dean DeFrancesco Soto. “We teach our students how to apply their public service toolkits to a range of sectors and we have no better example of public service impact makers than the members of our board. This is an incredibly diverse group that reflects public service in action including leaders from the worlds of law, medicine, technology, higher education, and government.”

“I look forward to serving on the Dean’s Advisory Board with such an impressive group of public service leaders,” said Lindsey. “Each Advisory Board member offers a unique perspective on how to support the Clinton School of Public Service as it continues to grow. I applaud Dr. DeFrancesco Soto for bringing together such a distinguished group.”

Secretary Donna E. Shalala, currently the Trustee Professor of Political Science and Health Policy at the University of Miami and formerly the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, will serve as the board’s inaugural Chair.

“It’s a great honor to serve as Chair of the advisory board as we launch a new era to prepare the next generation of public servants,” said Secretary Shalala.

Members of the Dean’s Advisory Board will provide advice to the Dean on strategic issues impacting the future of the Clinton School; act as ambassadors of the school and its students, faculty, and research; provide insights to the Dean on how the Clinton School can enhance its mission of social impact; and assist in the recruitment of prospective students and the placement and advancement of Clinton School graduates.

The Dean’s Advisory Board will promote and support continuous growth in the quality and dynamism of the Clinton School’s education, research, and outreach. Additionally, the board will assist with generating financial support for students, faculty, and academic programs at the Clinton School.

The expertise of this diverse group of leaders will help to shape the direction of the Clinton School, capturing the spirit of President Clinton’s words – “we all do better when we work together.”

Below is a full list of the inaugural Clinton School Dean’s Advisory Board:

President Bill Clinton (Ex officio)
42nd President of the United States
Founder and Board Chair | Clinton Foundation

William Jefferson Clinton, the first Democratic president in six decades to be elected twice, led the U.S. to the longest economic expansion in American history, including the creation of more than 22 million jobs.

After leaving the White House, President Clinton established the William J. Clinton Foundation, and today, the renamed Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, works to improve global health and wellness, increase opportunity for girls and women, reduce childhood obesity, create economic opportunity and growth, and help communities address the effects of climate change.


Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto, Ph.D. (Ex officio)
Dean | Clinton School of Public Service

Victoria DeFrancesco Soto is Dean of the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas and previously served as Assistant Dean at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and is a political analyst for NBC News and Telemundo.

Victoria is the first Latina Dean at a presidential institution and she was named one of the top 12 scholars in the country by Diverse magazine. Victoria previously taught at Northwestern University and Rutgers and received her Ph.D. in political science from Duke University.


Bruce R. Lindsey, J.D. (Ex officio)
Counselor to the Chair of the Board | Clinton Foundation

Bruce R. Lindsey currently serves as Counselor to the Chair of the Board for the Clinton Foundation and a member of its Board of Directors. Before that he served as the Clinton Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer for 10 years. He has been a long-time advisor to former President Bill Clinton.

During the eight years of the Clinton Administration, he served as an Assistant to the President, Deputy White House Counsel, and Senior Advisor. During 1993, Mr. Lindsey was also Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel.


Secretary Donna E. Shalala (Chair)
Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
Trustee Professor of Political Science and Health Policy | University of Miami

Donna E. Shalala is a distinguished scholar and educator and currently Trustee Professor of Political Science and Health Policy at the University of Miami. One of the most honoured academics of her generation, she has been elected to seven national academies, including the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Education, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. She served as President of Hunter College, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and President of the University of Miami.

Her public service also includes serving as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Clinton administration for eight years. In 2008 President George W. Bush selected her as the Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, the nation’s highest civilian award.

She received her Ph.D. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University.


Gayatri Jane Agnew
Senior Director/Head of Accessibility Center of Excellence | Walmart

Gayatri Agnew comes to Walmart having worked in the public sector both in government and non-profits and found her way to business because of her desire to work on impact at scale.

Gayatri serves on the leadership team of Walmart’s Global Culture, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office where she leads the Global Accessibility Center of Excellence, focused on serving customers and employees with disabilities. She previously served on the leadership team for Walmart’s Global Responsibility division where she led strategy and philanthropy for Walmart’s efforts on economic mobility.


Kris Engskov
Co-Founder & CEO | FHCC

Kris Engskov is Co-Founder & CEO of an Arch Ventures-funded start-up company (in stealth mode) focused on building the next generation of mental and behavioral health care for seniors.

Kris previously served as President of Aegis Living, one of the nation’s leading innovators in providing assisted living, memory care and wellness services to seniors.

Prior to jumping into senior health, Kris spent over 16 years at Starbucks Coffee Company where he held multiple senior leadership roles including President of the company’s flagship U.S. Retail division and earlier as President of Starbucks Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA).


James Filippatos, J.D.
Vice President for Global Public Policy | The Walt Disney Company

Jim is Vice President for Global Public Policy at The Walt Disney Company where he is responsible for developing and directing strategic international public policy initiatives across the company. He focuses on media and Internet policy, human rights, children’s issues, skills building, and business entry and expansion in developing markets, among other areas.

Before joining Disney, Jim served as senior counsel at the U.S. State Department and Assistant Administrator for International Affairs at the Federal Aviation Administration.


Secretary Aldo Flores-Quiroga
Former Deputy Secretary of Energy for Hydrocarbons | Mexico’s Ministry of Energy
Senior Advisor | FTI Consulting

Aldo Flores-Quiroga is Senior Advisor at FTI Consulting. He was deputy secretary of energy for hydrocarbons at Mexico’s Ministry of Energy (2016–18), where he led a team of more than 180 government officials to implement the historic opening of Mexico’s hydrocarbons sector.

With his team he launched a new oil exploration strategy, worked to liberalized Mexico’s markets for refined products and natural gas, created strategic inventories for gasoline, diesel and natural gas, and negotiated Mexico’s role in the unprecedented OPEC-Non OPEC pact to stabilize oil markets.


Mark Gearan, J.D.
Director of the Institute of Politics | Harvard Kennedy School

Mark D. Gearan is the Director of the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School. A leading voice at the intersection of education and public service, Gearan has held numerous leadership roles in American politics, government, and higher education. He served as the President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS) for 18 years.

His public service has included posts in the Clinton Administration as White House Deputy Chief of Staff, White House Communications Director, and Director of the Peace Corps.


Arturo Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Director of Advocacy and Research | Meta Platforms, Inc.

An economist, Arturo is a recognized leader and policy expert in the digital economy, on topics such as Entrepreneurship, Small Businesses, Innovation, and Access. Arturo has an expansive career experience in the private, public and academic sectors, including senior leadership positions at the Federal Reserve Board, Meta, Visa, amongst others.

At Meta, Arturo is the Director of Advocacy & Research where he oversees global research efforts with regards to value creation for small businesses and individuals.


Tara Hernandez
President | JCH Properties+

Tara serves as President of JCH Properties+, a real estate investment, consulting and development company that specializes in delivering urban lifestyle experiences through the conversion of underutilized real estate into “cool”, creative spaces.

Tara is also actively involved in the technology investment community, as an investor and Fund Manager of Reform Ventures, LLC, a member of First Round Capital’s Angel Track 6 cohort, a member of NOLAAN (New Orleans LA Angel Network), and board member of the Idea Village, a New Orleans technology accelerator program.


Colette Honorable, J.D.
Former Commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Partner | Reed Smith, LLP

The Honorable Colette D. Honorable is a highly regarded leader in energy policy and regulation at the state, federal and international levels. Colette is a Partner in Reed Smith LLP’s Energy and Natural Resources Group where she leads the energy regulatory practice and sits on the firm’s Executive Committee. Colette is an Independent Director for Southern Company and sits on its Finance and Business Security and Resiliency Committees.

Prior to joining Reed Smith, Colette served our nation as a Commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from 2015 to 2017.


Amy Kroll
Founder & Executive Director | LBJ Women’s Campaign School

Amy Kroll is the Founder and Executive Director of the LBJ Women’s Campaign School at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a political veteran, having worked nearly a decade in politics.

In 2020, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush selected her as a Presidential Leadership Scholar with the aim of launching and expanding the LBJ Women’s Campaign School. In 2019, she was selected by the European Parliament as one of 100 leaders worldwide to participate in the European Union’s Visitors Program.


Dean Kumpuris, M.D.
Position 8 At-Large City Director | City of Little Rock

Dr. Dean Kumpuris has been practicing gastroenterology for 43 years and has served on the Little Rock City Board since 1995. His major areas of interest outside his medical practice are downtown revitalization and education; especially for minorities. 

He has been involved in the development of the River Market and the expansion of Riverfront Park. His efforts to further minority educational opportunities have mainly been by serving on the Board of Visitors of UALR and working with the Arkansas Commitment program.


Linda Lopez, Ph.D.
CEO | Impact Strategies

Lopez is CEO of Impact Strategies, a consulting firm providing policy, strategy and advice to foundation executives, non-profit organizations, and government on best practices to invest resources to advance economic opportunity for marginalized communities, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and refugee resettlement.

Most recently Dr. Lopez served as a senior advisor to a global foundation on a $36 million investment for COVID-19 relief and distribution of cash assistance in 25 cities to invest in local profit organizations assisting families and children, essential workers, and unemployed workers.


Spencer Lucker
Director of Employment Engagement Strategy | Detroit Mayor’s Workforce Development Board

Spencer Lucker is a passionate public servant and community advocate, who serves as director of employer engagement strategy for the Detroit Mayor’s Workforce Development Board and Detroit at Work, the City’s workforce development system.

He leads a team that works with employers, training providers, and other stakeholders across high-growth industries to design the City’s strategy to recruit quality jobs and create opportunities for Detroiters to pursue meaningful careers. He is a graduate of the Clinton School of Public Service.


Donna C. McLarty
Co-Founder, Board Chair Emeritus, Board Member | Vital Voices Global Partnership

Donna Cochran McLarty is an advocate for worldwide efforts to support women, children and families—and a champion of international education, cultural diplomacy and interfaith dialogue.

Ms. McLarty is a co-founder, board chair emeritus, and current board member of Vital Voices Global Partnership, a non-governmental organization dedicated to identifying and partnering with exceptional women around the world, elevating lives and communities.


Frank E. Ross III, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs | Butler University

Dr. Ross is currently the senior student affairs officer at Butler University. His leadership in higher education spans both private and public universities, where his work has focused on advancing student success, holistic well-being, and fostering inclusive communities. 

Previously, he served as Vice President for Student Life at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, and before that, Vice President for Student Affairs at Northeastern Illinois University, a Hispanic-Serving Institution located in Chicago.


Secretary Rodney Slater
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation 
Partner | Squire Patton Boggs

Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater helps clients integrate their interests in the overall vision for the transportation system of the 21st Century – a vision he set as Transportation Secretary to promote a safer, more efficient, environmentally sound and sustainable worldwide transportation infrastructure.

Secretary Slater also helps state and local government clients address the vexing challenge of closing the gap between transportation demand and capacity by employing public/private strategies and innovative financing solutions.


Janet Walkow, Ph.D.
Executive Director & Chief Technology Officer | Drug Dynamics Institute, The University of Texas at Austin

Janet joined The University of Texas in 2008, building on a successful pharmaceutical industry career, heading efforts ranging from R&D and Human Resources to Global Corporate Strategy. 

Leading the Drug Dynamic Institute, Janet brings novel approaches and solutions that promote development of health technologies, facilitate bioscience startups, and cultivate interdisciplinary technology readiness and has been named a University of Texas gamechanger.


Alison Williams
Chief of Staff | Governor Asa Hutchinson

Williams serves as Governor Hutchinson’s Chief of Staff, managing a team of more than forty professionals who support Governor Hutchinson’s transformational vision for the State of Arkansas in areas as divergent as K-12 computer science education, licensing reform, a comprehensive reorganization of state government and conservation. 

Prior to returning to Arkansas in this position, she was the Governor’s Director of State-Federal Relations in Washington, D.C.

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