Catherine V. Beane
Director of Policy

Catherine V. Beane is the Director of Policy for the Children’s Defense Fund. In this capacity, Catherine leads the CDF policy team’s efforts to build and implement a continuum of policy supports and effective systems to address the needs of the whole child from before birth to adulthood, and to dismantle the Cradle to Prison Pipeline and replace it with a pipeline to educational achievement, career readiness and healthy productive lives.

Catherine has extensive experience in facilitation, advocacy, policy analysis, grant-writing, project management, leadership training, and providing organizational development services to nonprofits and public service agencies. Catherine previously led the Behind the Cycle project for the Open Society Institute, where she convened a multidisciplinary coalition of social service, education, youth development, child welfare, and justice organizations to promote criminal justice reforms. She has also previously spearheaded strategic planning and policy projects for the American Bar Association, the Joint Center for Political & Economic Studies, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, and the National Debate Project of Emory University, among other non-profits. Catherine began her legal career as a trial attorney representing low-income clients in civil rights, juvenile justice and criminal matters.

Catherine received her B.A. in philosophy from Emory University, and her J.D. from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America.