Press Release

Sanders Announces Intent to Nominate Kristi Putnam Secretary of the Department of Human Services
Selects Janet Mann, Mischa Martin, and Mark White for key DHS leadership positions

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—Governor-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders today announced several individuals who will fill key leadership roles at the Department of Human Services (DHS) in her administration, including her intention to nominate Kristi Putnam as Secretary. Sanders also announced her intention to appoint Mischa Martin as Deputy Director for Youth and Families, Janet Mann as Deputy Director of Health and State Medicaid Director, and Mark White as Chief of Staff.

“Kristi and I share a vision for bold reforms that support our neighbors in need, care for our most vulnerable, protect children in foster care, and ensure Arkansans are not trapped in a lifetime of poverty,” Sanders said. “With thousands of employees working in every county of Arkansas, I wanted strong leaders with big hearts and records of innovative initiatives to tackle the challenging issues this department faces, which is why I am thrilled to have Mischa, Janet, and Mark joining our new Secretary.

“I am excited about the opportunity to join Governor-elect Sanders’ administration and take on the important work of human services,” Putnam said. “We will protect our fellow citizens while prioritizing reforms and identifying efficiencies and taxpayer savings, which is what I have done throughout my career. I strongly believe that access and opportunity empower people to live their best lives. The Governor-elect has great plans to unleash opportunity for all Arkansans, and I cannot wait to get to work alongside her and this team at DHS.”

Kristi Putnam biography:
Kristi Putnam has more than 20 years of policy and hands-on experience in human services, early childhood services, education, workforce development, and health policy, including implementation of Kentucky’s Medicaid transformation and several other innovative statewide policy and process initiatives. 

Kristi has provided policy and strategy guidance to several legislative leaders, including House leadership in the Kentucky House of Representatives, federal agencies, such as The Administration for Children & Families’ Office of Family Assistance, and many state Health & Human Services agencies. 

Kristi served in the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), beginning in March 2016 in the child welfare and family assistance office. After serving with CHFS for two years and leading Medicaid Section 1115 waiver innovation efforts, she was appointed in May 2018 to serve as Deputy Secretary of CHFS, where she served until December 2019. In this role, Kristi helped lead impactful and collaborative cross-cabinet reforms in health policy, public benefits delivery, human-centered design and workforce strategies, operational technology improvements, child welfare, and education supports. She assisted in leading daily operations for CHFS, a cabinet with more than 8,000 employees and an operating budget of over $14 billion. 

After her time at CHFS, Kristi co-founded Connecting the Dots Policy Solutions, a policy consulting group focused on driving government innovations in the intersection of health, human services, education, workforce development, and economic growth. 

Kristi also served as the Child Welfare Services Manager, Chief of Community-Based Care, and Statewide Foster Care Licensing Specialist in Florida’s privatized community-based system of foster care and adoption. Her prior experience in Florida included policy and legislative development and implementation in the Department of Education, Department for Children and Families, the Florida Partnership for School Readiness, and Executive Office of the Governor. 

Most recently, Kristi served as the Chief People Officer for AppHarvest, a publicly traded agtech startup in Kentucky.

Kristi was born and raised in the small town of DeLand, Florida, graduated from DeLand High School, and earned her Bachelor's degree in English and Social Work from Florida State University. She also earned a Master's degree in Psychology in Industrial & Organizational Change from Southern New Hampshire University. 

Kristi and her husband Claude have three adult daughters and two grandchildren. 

Mischa Martin biography:
Mischa Martin currently serves as the Director of the Division of Children and Family Services.

In this role, she is responsible for the safety of children and youth in Arkansas, child abuse and neglect prevention, foster care, and adoption programs. 

Mischa earned a Juris Doctorate from the William H. Bowen School of Law and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. 

In 2008, she joined DHS, and represented the Department in dependency neglect cases, adult maltreatment cases, and central registry administrative hearings. 

In 2015, she was named Deputy Counsel, where she managed the attorneys who represent DCFS, Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division, and Adult Protective Services. She then served as the assistant director of compliance and monitoring for the DHS Division of Developmental Disabilities Services. 

In 2016, Mischa transitioned to DCFS where she has a passion for serving children and families.

Janet Mann biography:
Janet Mann has over twenty years’ experience in healthcare and healthcare finance. She has worked in the public and private sector for multiple states and clients.   

Janet has served as the Division Director for DHS’s Division of Medical Services overseeing the Medicaid operations before and during the beginning of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency until April 2021. She also served as DHS’s Chief Financial Officer for a year in 2017.  

In addition, Janet was a Deputy Administrator for Medicaid in Mississippi during Governor Haley Barbour’s administration, 2006-2010. 

Janet has worked in the private sector focused on healthcare and public sector for several entities throughout her career but most recently at Horne LLP in Ridgeland, Mississippi. While consulting, Janet worked closely with other states implementing public policies and programs in areas of program integrity, managed care, audit and compliance and financial processes.

Janet holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Alabama and is a Certified Public Accountant.  

Janet has been married to Doug for over 29 years and has 2 grown children, Sydney and Will. 

Mark White biography:
Mark White became the Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Human Services in October 2022. 

Since he first joined DHS in 2013, Mark has served in a variety of capacities including work in the Secretary’s Office, the Office of Chief Counsel, and the Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services. 

Prior to becoming Secretary, Mark served as Chief of Staff and Chief Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Officer, where he represented DHS before the Arkansas Legislature and serves as a primary point of contact for legislators, elected officials, lobbyists, and other state agencies. 

In 2017, Governor Asa Hutchinson appointed him to the Governor’s Transformation Advisory Board, which helped lay the groundwork for the reorganization of state government culminating in the Transformation and Efficiencies Act of 2019. 

A licensed attorney, he has previously worked at the Arkansas Department of Education and the Workers’ Compensation Commission, and he served as a Policy Advisor to Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. 

He is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University and the University of Arkansas School of Law.