Mara Heneghan

Associate Director, Health and Political Economy Project

She/her

Mara Heneghan is Associate Director of the Health and Political Economy Project at the New School’s Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, where she supports policy and programs to build an economy that enables health and dignity for all. As a Reimagine America Fellow, Heneghan will focus on elevating health as a pillar of a more just economic paradigm and exploring local government’s role in doing so.

Heneghan previously served as First Deputy of Policy in the office of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Director of Policy in the office of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and Senior Strategist of Guaranteed Income at Economic Security Project. Heneghan has led innovative progressive policy work, including guaranteeing all Chicago workers paid time off and creating the country’s first publicly funded medical debt cancellation program at Cook County.

A devoted Chicagoan, Heneghan co-founded and co-organizes Market Box, a mutual aid project that delivers free, local produce to families across Chicago’s South Side. She holds an MA from the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice and a BA in Public Policy from the University of Chicago. She is an Obama Foundation Scholar and a Fulbright alumna.