About

Dr. Claire Lucas is a highly skilled PhD with a deep commitment to public service and community engagement.  She has devoted her life to social and economic equality not just in the United States but around the globe. She is an international policy expert, coalition builder, entrepreneur and philanthropist with more than 20 years of experience working to improve the welfare of individuals around the world.

She is currently the Principal of the Peasley Group which works to create innovative, profitable and inclusive communities. Dr. Lucas is a Deputy National Finance Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). She is also Chair of the DNC’s LGBTQ Council and an At-Large DNC member. Dr. Lucas is also part of the Biden/Harris Finance Committee at the Biden Victory Partner Level. She is a Co-Chair of Women for Biden and a Co-Chair of the LOBTQ for Biden Finance Council. She participates on several boards and is a philanthropist and a prolific fundraiser who has provided significant support to numerous Democratic candidates and many causes including the Human Rights Campaign, Kidsave, National Democratic Institute, and the LGBTQ Victory Institute and Fund.

Most recently, Dr. Lucas was Senior Advisor for Public-Private Partnerships at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In her role, Dr. Lucas led USAID’s effort to expand the creation and implementation of strategic public‐private partnerships and facilitate the Agency’s collaboration with the private sector to achieve its development and U.S. foreign policy objectives. At USAID she received one of USAID’s highest award’s the “Distinguished Honor Award” for her pioneering work on global LGBT equality.

Dr. Lucas has held several leadership positions at the World Bank where she was responsible for managing teams and processes which resulted in the creation of numerous, multimillion-dollar multiple stakeholder international development projects. Prior to her joining the World Bank, Dr. Lucas worked for the Pan American Health Organization, the Harvard Institute for International Development as well as several consulting firms. Dr. Lucas possesses a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University, an M.S. from Harvard University and a BA from Pomona College. Claire lives with her partner Judy Dlugacz and their two newly adopted children, Juan and Angie, from Colombia SA.

Claire Lucas speaking