Princeton University

ML Wernecke has spent two decades working on state and local policy in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, PA. She has spent about half of her career working on health care and human services issues and currently serves as Policy Director at the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. Most of her work at the state has focused on how to improve access and quality to services during tough budget times. She previously worked for then-Mayor Ed Rendell in his policy and planning office, primarily on welfare-to-work issues.

In between working for Mayor Rendell and Governor Rendell, ML became the founding managing director of the Cartographic Modeling Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. The Lab collaborated on academic research and urban and social policy analysis using geographic information systems (GIS) and administrative records.

ML was a Field III at WWS and graduated with a MPA-URP. Her first job after graduate school was as an environmental planner at Wallace Roberts & Todd, and later held the position of manager of comprehensive planning at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. She also worked at the Center for Greater Philadelphia, a University of Pennsylvania think tank that promoted regional cooperation in Southeastern Pennsylvania.