Kristi Putnam has more than 25 years of policy and hands-on experience in human services, early childhood services, education, workforce development, and health policy, and has led implementation of Arkansas’ Maternal Health and Communities of Care innovations, Kentucky’s Medicaid and foster care transformations, Florida’s early learning and school readiness program, and many other innovative statewide policy and process initiatives in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Florida. She believes in the power of connection to others as a transformational force, and in benevolent disruption of the status quo in government systems. Kristi has provided policy and strategy guidance to legislative members, 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 and associations .Most recently, Kristi served as Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Human Services under Governor Sarah Sanders from January 2023 – July 2025. She recently returned to Kentucky to be closer to family and currently is serving as Senior Policy Advisor to Kentucky House Speaker David Osborne and a Senior Fellow with the Cicero Institute and is also engaged in HHS policy innovations with several other states/initiatives.