David Sanders

David Sanders is the director of Innovate Arkansas at Winrock International. Before joining Winrock, David served as director of the institutional advancement for a private, Christian, college-preparatory school in Little Rock for over 11 years. Passionate about education, he worked to expand opportunities for students from underserved populations, increase technology use in the classroom, and develop on-site concurrent-credit opportunities through partnerships with regional universities. He led capital efforts for facilities construction for the fine arts, recreation, and technology.

His professional career extends into the private and public sectors. He led Johnson Controls Inc.’s business development efforts in Arkansas’ health care space. Before that, he served as a policy and communications aide for Gov. Mike Huckabee.

For nearly 10 years, David was a syndicated columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau, and he has contributed to the Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, the Associated Baptist Press in Washington, D.C., World Magazine, and the Arkansas Times. He is a Robert D. Novak Journalism Fellow with The Fund for American Studies and holds a B.A. in political science and communications from Ouachita Baptist University.

As a member of the Arkansas State Senate (elected in 2012), David is an assistant president pro tempore for the 2nd district. In 2014, he was named an “Arkansan of the Year” by Arkansas Life Magazine and was named to the Arkansas Business “40 Under 40” in 2002.