The Latest - Debra Ballinger Bernstein

Debra Ballinger Bernstein

Debra Ballinger Bernstein began her tenure with URI as Associate Executive Director in November 2009. She brings to URI extensive experience in strategic planning, evaluation, and organizational and fund development. She was raised Catholic with a lifelong commitment to social justice and an enduring interest in other faith traditions’ teachings on justice. Ms. Bernstein also has studied mindfulness mediation and continues her exploration of Jewish traditions, an interest that was nurtured by her late husband. Ms. Bernstein has worked her entire career in the nonprofit sector in executive management and as a consultant for social change organizations. Her approach focuses on increasing impact and sharing best practices in the social sector through strategic long-term visioning, building and repositioning organizational assets, and creating innovative solutions for external and internal challenges. She has had the good fortune to work with a broad range of groups that have made lasting contributions to interfaith organizing, affordable housing, health care, workforce development, and the arts. She also has specialized in working with organizations in transition.   Prior to working with URI, Debra served as Deputy Director of Strategic Planning Projects for the Institute for Change, the nonprofit foundation of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). In that capacity, she worked on a long-term partnership and statewide vision for change in California. Ms. Bernstein also managed extensive research on California’s most critical challenges, which provided the underpinning for policy and action strategies. She developed the organizational infrastructure for a new 501(c) (3) organization and wrote the initial strategic and fund development plans for it. Ms. Bernstein also consulted with SEIU leaders in Pennsylvania and brought in experts on that state’s urban and rural economies, education, healthcare and economic and workforce development for a series of retreats.   Over the years, Ms. Bernstein has worked with such diverse organizations as BRIDGE Housing Corporation, the West Coast Industrial Areas Foundation, CTA Institute for Teaching, Cancer Support Community, Northern California Cancer Center, and Círculo de Vida Cancer Resource Center. For the first 18 years of her career, Ms. Bernstein worked in theater as an actress, writer, teacher and producer. She served as Associate Chair of the Musical Theatre Program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she co-developed an innovative curriculum in the writing of new music theater and opera with an emphasis on collaboration and story. In San Francisco, she produced the world premiere of Tony Kushner’s landmark play, “Angels in America” at the Eureka Theatre. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Mills College.