Pauline Abernathy
Chief Strategy Officer
Pauline oversees BDT’s Projects, Partnerships, Strategy & Product, Policy, and Communications Departments. She brings over 25 years of experience in federal and local government, philanthropy, and nonprofit policy analysis and advocacy organizations. Prior to joining BDT, Pauline was Executive Vice President of The Institute for College Access & Success. As Senior Advisor to the Mayor of Philadelphia, she partnered with BDT to launch BenePhilly, a city-wide initiative that has now secured hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits for low-income Philadelphians through highly targeted outreach and enrollment assistance and partnerships with community-based organizations. Pauline was also Deputy Director of Health and Human Services at The Pew Charitable Trusts and has served in senior positions at the U.S. Department of Education and the White House National Economic Council and Domestic Policy Council. Pauline earned her BA from Yale University and has a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Why Benefits Data Trust?
"The opportunity to help others every day and make systems more effective, just, and efficient"
Passionate About:
Making things better, gratitude, family, friends, biking, hiking and dogs
Best Advice Ever Received:
Trust your gut
Volunteer Work:
Philadelphia Futures
Can’t Go A Day Without…:
Coffee and ice cream
Your Guilty Pleasure:
Watching The Wire
One Item On Your Bucket List:
Hiking in Patagonia