People
David Hanson

David Hanson, J.D., MBA, Ed.D.

Chief Financial and Operating Officer

The Branson School

David Hanson is the chief financial and operating officer at The Branson School, in Marin County, California. He is also a partner with Winthrop & Associates, LLC, a financial planning consultancy. Prior to joining Branson, Hanson served as the chief operating officer for the Boston office of a global nonprofit foundation and before that as CFO and chief risk officer at Phillips Exeter. Earlier in his career, Hanson spent 15 years working for large universities, including Virginia Commonwealth University and Emory University. Hanson also spent nearly a decade in the legal field, including clerking for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia and serving as a Federal Staff Attorney for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta. Hanson is a veteran of the U.S. Army, and graduated from the Judge Advocate General’s School in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is a two-time Fulbright award recipient. Hanson holds a B.S. from University of Tampa, a J.D. from Ohio Northern University, two master’s degrees in education and business from the University of Florida and Emory University respectively, and a doctorate in education management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Online Courses

Past Webinars

  • The Fine Art of Handling Conflict for Business Officers This item is protected

    December 5, 2025
    This webinar will equip attendees with practical strategies to navigate disputes with clarity and confidence, and offers actionable insights on handling complaints and resolving conflict in ways that foster collaboration and strengthen relationships.
  • Tuition, Trends, Trouble: What College Closures Signal for Independent Schools This item is protected

    November 21, 2025
    Explore financial sustainability for independent schools by analyzing college closures. Learn strategies to navigate risks and build resilience based on what may be gleaned from higher ed’s warning signs.
  • Small School, Big Solutions: Navigating Mission, Money and Innovation This item is protected

    November 7, 2025
    The financial reality of a school can deeply inform its mission. Discover how a small school's inherent need for innovation sparks powerful, scalable solutions for schools of all sizes to be nimble when resources are limited.
  • Durable Campus Planning: Aligning Vision with Strategic Purpose This item is protected

    October 24, 2025
    Learn how The Governor’s Academy aligned educational priorities with campus development in a new campus planning process that engaged the school community. The resulting plan now guides the adaptive reuse of facilities and enhanced academic programs.
  • Cyber Breach Breakdown: Risk Mitigation Tactics for Independent K-12 Schools This item is protected

    September 26, 2025
    82% of K-12 schools have experienced a cyber incident. This webinar equips business and technology leaders with practical tactics for cyber threat detection, response, and prevention, safeguarding their schools' financial and reputational integrity.

Net Assets Articles