Dean Katherine Baicker Among Three New Members Added to Urban Institute Board of Trustees

The trustees of the Urban Institute have selected three new leaders to join its board, including Katherine Baicker, dean of the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Also selected were Mary C. Daly, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and Heather Higginbottom, head of research and policy for Corporate Responsibly and co-head of global philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase. The new members add a diverse set of experiences and policy expertise to Urban’s board.

“Urban has a proud history of prominent economists, academics, corporate executives, and former public servants joining our board to help guide the institution as we develop evidence that helps improve lives and strengthen communities,” said board chair Jamie Gorelick. “As field-leading economists committed to rigorous research and its application to policy, Kate and Mary continue a long tradition following in the footsteps of Charles Schultze, Robert Solow, Rebecca Blank, David Autor, and current vice chair Greg Mankiw. Heather brings an astonishing career that traverses the public, nonprofit, and private sectors; she has served as deputy secretary of state, deputy director of OMB, and deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council, COO of humanitarian relief and development for CARE, and now as a senior leader at JPMorgan Chase. I am looking forward to the many contributions this next generation of trustees will bring in guiding Urban to deliver insights from evidence for ever-greater impact.”

“This new slate of trustees will help Urban build stronger ties to great cities―on the West Coast and in the Midwest. Their relevant expertise includes health, labor markets, consumer finance, inequality, inclusive growth, and institutional leadership and management,” said president Sarah Rosen Wartell. “As we craft a new strategic plan for Urban, we will benefit from their policy, analytic, and management prowess to equip Urban to deploy research and evidence to improve the well-being of all families and communities.”

Background

Katherine Baicker

Katherine Baicker is dean of the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. A leading health economist, she is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Social Insurance, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Previously, Baicker served as a commissioner on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, as chair of the Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission, and as a Senate-confirmed member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. Baicker also serves on the Congressional Budget Office’s Panel of Health Advisers, as a director of Eli Lilly, and as a trustee of the Mayo Clinic, NORC at the University of Chicago, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.  

Molly C. Daly

Mary C. Daly is president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and helps set American monetary policy that promotes a healthy and stable economy. She was the first openly gay woman to lead a regional Federal Reserve bank. Previously, Daly held multiple leadership positions at the Bank and within the Federal Reserve System more broadly, including chair of the SF Fed Diversity and Inclusion Council and executive chair of the FRS Committee on Research Management. Additionally, Daly has served on the advisory boards of the Congressional Budget Office, the Social Security Administration, the Office of Rehabilitation Research and Training, the Institute of Medicine, the Library of Congress, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and the Center for First-Generation Student Success.

Heather Higginbottom

Heather Higginbottom is co-head of global philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase, which is responsible for nearly $2 billion in global philanthropic investments. Heather also serves as head of policy & research for corporate responsibility, overseeing the JPMorgan Chase Institute and PolicyCenter, which together champion evidence-based policy that advances inclusive economic opportunity through distinctive research and cross-sector engagement. Before joining JPMorgan Chase, Higginbottom was chief operating officer of CARE USA. She served as deputy secretary of state for management and resources for the US Department of State from 2013 to 2017. In the White House, Higginbottom served as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget and as deputy assistant to the President and deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council. Higginbottom serves on the boards of directors for the U.S. Soccer Foundation and the International Youth Foundation.

Higginbottom began serving in May, Baicker joined in November, and Daly’s term begins in May 2023. A full list of Urban Institute trustees can be found here.

The Urban Institute is a nonprofit research organization that provides data and evidence to help advance upward mobility and equity. We are a trusted source for changemakers who seek to strengthen decision making, create inclusive economic growth, and improve the well-being of families and communities. For more than 50 years, Urban has delivered facts that inspire solutions—and this remains our charge today.

This news first appeared at the Urban Institute.