
Catherine Harvey is a senior policy program manager in the Research to Action Lab at the Urban Institute, where she works to improve financial well-being and advance upward economic mobility.
For nearly 15 years, Harvey has advanced large-scale policy and programmatic solutions to improve economic outcomes for Latinos, immigrants, and older Americans. At the AARP Public Policy Institute, she directed research and policy analysis on the drivers of household financial well-being over time. 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 master's degree in policy management from Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree in international relations and Spanish from the University of Delaware.