Dr. David Barnwell, DBA has been the President/Executive Director of The Iris Network since 2018
Headshot of Dr. David Barnwell
President/Executive Director of The Iris Network, Dr. David Barnwell
In January 2018, The Iris Network’s Board of Directors selected David Barnwell, DBA to be its new President/Executive Director. Our Chairman of the Board said, “After a wide-ranging search, we chose Dr. Barnwell to lead our agency. His experience in the blindness industry, credentials, and leadership and advocacy style are a great match for what our community-benefit organization needs to expand and be the premier provider of training and services to those we serve.”
Before joining The Iris Network, Dr. Barnwell was the President of A Brighter Path Foundation (and Vice-President of Business Affairs) at Industries for the Blind (IFB) based in North Carolina. He is the immediate past Chairman of the Board of Miracles in Sight (an established international program for corneal transplants), a member of Missionaries for Blind Children and the National Association for Employment of People who are Blind, along with being a governor-appointed Chairman of the North Carolina Commission for the Blind. He holds a doctorate, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration. He received his doctorate from Walden University, and his master’s and bachelor’s from Belhaven University. He grew up in Tennessee, with a grandmother living not far from Helen Keller’s childhood home in Alabama. He chose his career when challenged to “use his powers for good.”