Heartland Welcomes New Executive Director
Welcome to Heartland!
Heartland Mental Health is proud to welcome David Barnes to the role of Executive Director.
David has over seven years of experience as an Executive Director and 15 years as a director of community programs. He began his career as a Youth Coordinator in 1997 and progressed to the role of Executive Director in 2015. Throughout his career he has been involved in many collaborations intended to provide people an opportunity to succeed. Some of these include Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in the Juvenile Justice System of St. Louis County; St. Louis Gang Task Force; Weed and Seed Initiative; Bank on Initiative Dubuque; Financial Inclusion Project City of Mayors Dubuque; and substance misuse counseling in Missouri, Iowa and South Dakota. David was also appointed to the state Substance Abuse and Credentialing Board in 2008.
David has management experience in programs such as employment assistance, tax assistance, energy assistance, food pantries, youth services, weatherization, head start and substance misuse. One of David’s many achievements is the Outstanding Youth Program within Community Action Agencies Award 2008, and he was appointed to Lakeside Children’s Home in Maryland Heights, Missouri. David’s career started in St. Louis with Community Action Agency of St. Louis, MO, then as Executive Director in Iowa and South Dakota.
David has regularly pursued his professional development to the benefit of those in need and the communities in which they live. Among his recognitions are:
Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP), 2007
Results Orientated Management Accountability Trainer (ROMA), 2007
Certified Substance Abuse Counselor/Prevention Specialist State of Missouri, 2007
President of St. Louis Juvenile Justice Association, 2003-2004
Member of Missouri Substance Abuse Credentialing Board, 2008-2010
Member of Advisory Board of Lakeside Children’s Home, 2010-2012
Listed in Who’s Who in Black St. Louis, 2009-2011
David has six children, and currently his sons Vaidyn and Dakota reside with him. Two daughters are married, and one is in college. His private time is devoted to his family, church, and the gym.