The History and Impact of the Clinton School of Public Service

Join us Wednesday, October 30 at noon CT / 1 p.m. ET when the Clinton Presidential Center Presents “The History and Impact of the Clinton School of Public Service.” As the Clinton School approaches the 20-year anniversary of its first graduating class and the Clinton Center celebrates its 20th anniversary, this panel discussion will explore the impact of the school and its students in Arkansas, across the nation, and around the world.

Panelists will include Clinton School graduates:

Sanford Johnson (‘09), Executive Director of Teach Plus Mississippi

Michelle Perez (‘16), Senior Program Officer, Special Projects for the Walton Family Foundation

Hunter Riley (‘09), Co-Founder, CEO, and CFO of Schlep

Anna Strong (‘11), Executive Director of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Dean Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto will moderate the discussion. Dean Emeritus James L. “Skip” Rutherford III will provide introductory remarks.

In 2004, President Bill Clinton welcomed the world into the Clinton Center for the first time. In the 20 years since then, more than five million people have visited the Clinton Center to explore President Clinton’s legacy, participate in educational programming, and experience our diverse array of public programs. Throughout 2024, we’re celebrating 20 years of milestones and memories and highlighting the impact of Clinton Center programs and organizations, like the Clinton School.

The Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas opened its doors in 2004, offering the first Master of Public Service (MPS) degree in the nation that is grounded in an unshakeable belief: “Our common humanity is a powerful force for transformative, sustainable change.” The MPS is an action-oriented program focused on preparing students for the tough work of on-the-ground change. While learning valuable lessons in the classroom, MPS students complete three for-credit public service projects ranging from local work in Arkansas communities to international projects across the world.

ASL interpretation is available during our events.

Clinton Presidential Center Presents is a partnership between the Clinton Foundation, Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas, and Clinton Presidential Library.

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Sanford Johnson is the Executive Director of Teach Plus Mississippi. Since 2020, he has led the work of the Mississippi Policy Fellowship, through which teacher leaders have advanced policies around increasing teacher pay, strengthening the state’s teacher pipeline, and increasing access to mental health resources. He also manages the Delta Change Agent Network, a project that prepares teachers to address school-level problems of practice in partnership with their principals and colleagues. Prior to joining Teach Plus, Sanford was a middle and high school Social Studies teacher in the Mississippi and Arkansas Delta. More recently, he spent 10 years as the Deputy Director of Mississippi First (MSF), an education policy research and advocacy organization. He currently serves on the boards of Teen Health Mississippi and the Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy. He also chairs the Clarksdale Municipal Elections Commission. Sanford holds a B.A. from Auburn University and a M.P.S from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. He lives in Clarksdale with his wife, Amanda, and their two daughters, Lorelei and Ava.

Michelle Perez is a Senior Program Officer at the Walton Family Foundation, where she manages a portfolio of grants and provides support to grantees. Previously, she spent seven years at Winrock International, rising to Associate Director of Community Development. There, she led the organization’s rural community development programming in the Mid-South region, focusing on public health and placemaking. In her role, she built the capacity of rural leaders in historically underserved areas, empowering them to improve their communities. In 2023, Michelle was selected as one of 50 leaders in the Obama Leaders USA inaugural cohort. She holds a Master in Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Business Administration – Finance and Management from Ouachita Baptist University. Michelle is fluent in Spanish, English, and Italian.

Hunter Riley is the co-founder and CEO/CFO of Schlep: a boutique local logistics business headquartered in Chicago. He sets Schlep’s vision to redefine the final block™ experience for customers and to build a tech-enabled local logistical network that services a variety of industries. After receiving his Master’s from the Clinton School of Public Service, prior to which he obtained Bachelors of Arts in Economics and International Relations/Political Science from the University of Arkansas, Hunter architected the Tillman Scholars program for the Pat Tillman Foundation in support of military veterans, servicemembers, and military spouses. Upon transitioning into the startup world, Hunter spent a year-long stint in the fintech field with SoFi, after which he connected with his childhood neighbor 11 years ago to co-found Schlep.

Anna Strong is the executive director of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ARAAP), the state’s membership organization for pediatricians. In this role, she leads policy and advocacy initiatives and engages members in statewide programs that promote child health and health care quality. Before joining ARAAP, she served as executive director of child advocacy and public health at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where she led clinical and community health outreach initiatives reaching all 75 counties, and convened the Natural Wonders Partnership Council, a coalition focused on improving child health. Other past roles include director of health care policy at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, where she led Medicaid-related policy work and contributed to Arkansas’s successful effort to extend Medicaid to low-income adults and establish its health insurance marketplace. She was also a decision support analyst at Acxiom. She serves on the board of directors of the School-Based Health Alliance and Harmony Health Clinic. Anna is a graduate of the dual public service and public health master’s degree programs at the Clinton School of Public Service and the UAMS College of Public Health. She received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Hendrix College in Conway.

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