Catherine Harvey is a senior policy program manager in the Research to Action Lab at the Urban Institute. She leads strategic collaborations to identify solutions to improve households’ financial well-being and economic mobility.

For nearly 20 years, Harvey has advanced policies and programs to ensure all people have the resources to thrive. At the AARP Public Policy Institute, she directed research on the drivers of financial well-being. She led a multistakeholder initiative to design and test payroll deduction emergency savings programs, now a popular employer benefit. Previously, Harvey managed the economic policy project at UnidosUS, where she conducted policy analysis and led advocacy campaigns on labor market issues, budget and tax policy, and household wealth. Her foundational research on Latino retirement readiness in California influenced the design and implementation of the CalSavers retirement savings program.

Harvey holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and Spanish from the University of Delaware and a master’s degree in policy management from Georgetown University.