David McKinney has more than twenty-five years of experience working in the US social sector to advance equity and opportunity for young people, families, and marginalized communities. Prior to joining Aspen Institute, David served as executive vice president of public affairs with TNTP, where he oversaw philanthropy, communications, and business development, and led broad public engagement efforts to implement better experiences for students in K-12 schools—working with diverse system leaders, educators, donors, and community stakeholders nationally and in some 350 local communities. During his time at TNTP, the organization grew from $60MM to over $110MM in revenue.
Prior to his work in K-12 education, David served as the first director of the Center for Engagement and Neighborhood Building at the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities in Washington, D.C., and supported a network of nearly 500 direct service nonprofits to authentically engage with the neighborhoods and communities they served. He previously worked at Public Allies, a national service and leadership development organization, where he held numerous positions including vice president of programs and vice president of strategy and development. During his 14-year tenure with Public Allies, David led the growth of the organization’s programming and operations from 10 to 23 cities and grew a national network of alumni advocating with and for underestimated communities. David was honored with an Aspen Institute Fellowship for emerging nonprofit leaders in 2010 and selected by Independent Sector as an American Express NGen Fellow in 2009. David holds a bachelor’s degree in education policy from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and began his career as a community organizer in his hometown of Milwaukee. When not working, David can usually be found on a bicycle, swimming, or reading to a young person.