Dan Franks is a father of four DMS students and a long-time member of the community. He first found Desert Marigold after a difficult experience at another school, where his eldest child was struggling with boredom and being misunderstood. A quick Google search for “farm school phoenix” brought him to DMS, and his family has been here ever since. He wishes he had searched for "whole child education phoenix", but he didn't know that was a thing at the time.

Dan's career in technology eventually took his family to Melbourne, Australia, where his children attended Collingwood College, a public Steiner school. There, he deepened his appreciation for Waldorf education and formed a lasting connection with the board president of their school. Upon returning to Phoenix, Dan moved from Treasurer to Board President at DMS, where he brings a calm, collaborative approach to leadership rooted in service and long-term vision.