David Barton
I currently serve as the Director of Internal Audit for the Mississippi Department of Human Services. Prior to beginning employment with MDHS just a couple of months ago, I spent over 31 years in various leadership positions with the Mississippi Army National Guard. The last 23 of those years were on active duty with my last assignment being as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel for the Mississippi National Guard. I will officially retire from the military on 28 February 2018 in the rank of Colonel. I hold a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Public Policy and Administration Degree from Mississippi State University. I am married and my wife Jen and I have four children, all girls! I am proud to say that the oldest two have already graduated college! Our oldest, Brittany, works on the hill in Washington, D.C. on the staff of Congressman Trent Kelly. Ashley is an Elementary School Special Education Teacher in the Brandon, MS area. Kelly is a Junior at Mississippi State University majoring in English with a desire to go into publishing, and Hannah is a High School Senior who is still figuring it out! My lovely bride, Jen is a very successful realtor in the Jackson, MS metro area.
I joined the John Maxwell Team to first learn to be a better leader in my military and now civilian career. In the five months since joining I have seen growth in areas of my personal and professional life. I have long felt a calling for coaching and mentoring others. In my last several years in the military I was blessed to be in positions that allowed me to really coach, teach, mentor, and help my team grow as leaders. Both my positions in the military and now in the civilian world frequently put me in front of groups of people where I can share my experiences and allow me to teach some of what I have learned the hard way on leadership. That being said, my heart is with small group and one on one mentoring. I hope to grow a business in that area as I go forward. In addition to my actual job at MDHS, I have been allowed to practice what I learn and be involved in the formal leader development program as part of the leadership team at the Mississippi Department of Human Services. I am excited to be a part of others growing and as I continue to grow I want to go outside the agency and build my own business.