Harris joins Winthrop Rockefeller Institute as director of programs

Janet Harris has been hired as director of programs at The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. She will begin working at the Institute Jan. 11, 2016.

Harris comes to the Institute from the Information Network of Arkansas, where she has worked for the past year as the company’s director of operations. Prior to that, she spent the bulk of her career in state government, working first as deputy secretary of state from 2003-2011 and then as deputy state auditor from 2011-2015. She worked under Charlie Daniels in both state government positions.

Over the course of her career, Harris has developed a reputation for providing strong leadership and successfully tackling new challenges, said Dr. Marta Loyd, executive director of the Institute.

“Janet has a long track record of success,” Loyd said. “While working as deputy secretary of state, she led the effort to implement electronic voting across all 75 counties in Arkansas, a process that required her to work with very diverse groups. She is smart, highly organized and has all the requisite qualities of a leader. Her experience and commitment to public service will be a great asset to the Institute.”

The Institute has five program areas that Harris will oversee: agriculture, arts and humanities, civic engagement, economic development, and health. Each program is considered and planned with the Institute’s mission in mind: to perpetuate the legacy of Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller as a catalyst for positive change and to advance the mission of the University of Arkansas System.

“This is an exciting opportunity for me,” Harris said. “Winthrop Rockefeller championed Arkansas and her people with a passionate belief in our potential for greatness. The institute that bears his name is continuing to search for solutions to our state’s most important challenges and to facilitate thoughtful public discourse among our citizens. I am honored and grateful to be part of that effort.”

Harris, a native Arkansan, earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration and political science from the University of Central Arkansas and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.