Michelle Gress
Director of Programs

"We are most fortunate to have Michelle on board with us," said Fr. Thomas Berg, Executive Director of the Institute. "Michelle brings with her not only a rich background of experience, but a real passion for the mission of the Institute. She will really enable us to move to a higher level of effectiveness and engagement with the culture."

Prior to joining the Westchester Institute, Ms. Gress worked for the U.S. House of Representatives Government Reform Committee, where she was Counsel for the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources. She handled the Subcommittee's powerful oversight jurisdiction of the federal government's health agencies, including Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration. Before working on the Hill, Ms. Gress was Law Clerk for the President's Council on Bioethics.

Ms. Gress also has several years' experience as a public relations consultant, managing numerous instrumental Congressional briefings, news conferences and other media/communications programs on behalf of noteworthy public policy clients such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Knights of Columbus, and the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity. She has managed comprehensive communications programs for domestic political action committees and international NGOs.