Kristi Putnam Resigns as Arkansas DHS Secretary; Governor Picks Janet Mann to Lead Agency

Janet Mann

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday named Janet Mann as the next secretary of the Arkansas Department of Human Services.

Mann is the department’s deputy secretary of programs and state Medicaid director. She has more than 20 years of experience in health care and health care finance in state government and in the corporate sector.

Kristi Putnam, the current DHS secretary, is leaving the role on July 25 after more than two years. She’s returning to Kentucky, where she worked in state government, consulting, and agritech before joining the Sanders administration. “My whole career has focused on serving families, and this move back to Kentucky is so I can serve my own family in a bigger way,” Putnam said in a statement.

In a news release, Sanders said Putnam brought “much-needed reforms” to the programs DHS oversees, including foster care, Medicaid, maternal health, and food stamps. “My administration was extraordinarily lucky to have someone with her skillset and leadership in charge of one of the most critical agencies in state government,” Sanders said. “I am grateful that we have someone as qualified as Janet to take over for Kristi and seamlessly continue to make positive changes at DHS.”

Mann previously served as the agency’s CFO and as director of the DHS Division of Medical Services. She left the agency in 2021 for roles in the private sector before returning in 2023 to serve in her current position. In that role, she oversees DHS programs for Medicaid, substance abuse, developmental disabilities, provider services, child welfare, and more. The programs serve about a third of Arkansas residents annually and have a collective budget of $11 billion.

Mann holds a bachelor’s in accounting from the University of Alabama and is a certified public accountant.