Justine Palacios is deputy chief of staff for operations at the Urban Institute. She works across the organization to develop and implement processes, systems, and initiatives to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.
Before joining Urban, Palacios spent 10 years helping build the operations at Arnold Ventures—first as grants manager and legal counsel and then as director of grants management. She developed foundational processes, conducted due diligence, and drafted and negotiated contracts for grantmaking portfolios and operational needs. She also advised the organization on regulations and policies, facilitated a corporate restructuring, and led strategic initiatives, including implementation of a new grants management system. In her last role at Arnold Ventures, Palacios was vice president of grants, where she was responsible for administration of the organization’s philanthropic activity, including grants, contracts, program-related investments, and other avenues of charitable and political giving.
As a board member of PEAK Grantmaking, Palacios works to advance equitable, effective grantmaking practices across the philanthropic sector.
Palacios holds a BA in international studies and Spanish from Kenyon College. She received her JD from Tulane University Law School and is licensed to practice law in Texas. During law school, she worked for the Center for Constitutional Rights, the New Orleans Immigration Court, and The Bronx Defenders, where she developed her knowledge of and interest in public policy and public interest law. Before law school, Palacios worked as a development and communications associate at Fifth Avenue Committee in Brooklyn.
Term expires in 2026.
