Board of Directors

Dr. Pamela Loprest recently retired after more than three decades at The Urban Institute, where she was a Senior Fellow and Labor Economist at the Income and Benefits Policy Center. Among her many leadership initiatives, Pam oversaw the evaluation of the Work Support Strategies Initiative, an effort by six states to improve integration and access to public work support systems including Medicaid, SNAP, and child care. She is the co-author of the book Leaving Welfare: Employment and Well-Being of Families that Left Welfare in the Post-Entitlement Era. Pam received her Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ms. Lisa Stransky has been instrumental in the development of multiple nonprofit organizations focusing on poverty eradication. Lisa’s career in education, advertising, and real estate has led to consistent recognition in the Wall Street Journal, Washingtonian Magazine, and many other publications. Over the past 25 years, Lisa has been a top producer in the Washington area residential real estate market and has been recognized by Real Trends as one of the top 1000 agents in the country. It was Lisa’s insights and ideas that sparked the formation of The Bergel Instiute in the fall of 2025. Lisa earned a Bachelors from Miami University and a Masters from American University.

Dr. Katherin Ross Phillips worked for many years studying the reach and effectiveness of policies that support low-income working families. As the Co-founder of The Shared Humanity Project, Katherin developed a community-based plan to eradicate poverty, a plan that served as the forebearer of the Bergel Institute’s poverty initiatives. Katherin has written and taught on myriad aspects of poverty, including the impact of the Earned Income Tax Credit, welfare participation and outcomes, and the challenges faced by working families seeking to rise out of poverty. Katherin’s research and professional experiences have been fundamental in setting the course for The Bergel Institute’s efforts. Katherin received her Bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and her Masters and Doctoral degrees from Syracuse University.

Dr. Mark Bergel has founded and led programs that have served more than 500,000 children and adults. He is the only individual inducted into both the Business Hall of Fame and the Human Rights Hall of Fame in Montgomery County, MD. He has been honored as Washingtonian of the Year and received numerous other regional, national, and international awards. Mark has worked intensively with individuals and organizations in urban, suburban, and rural areas. He has more than 40 years of leadership experience in education, poverty work, government relations, and health-related initiatives. Mark received his Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and his Masters and Doctoral degrees from American University, where he also taught for 15 years.