Kristin Bernhard, JD

Kristin Bernhard, JD, is a purpose-driven leader guided by a simple principle: leave it better than you found it. A committed Member of the Junior League movement since 2014, she has served in several significant leadership roles across multiple Leagues, including Vice President of Advocacy and Initiatives for the Junior League of Atlanta, GA and President of the Junior League of Chicago, IL. Across both Leagues, Kristin has focused on strengthening Member engagement, elevating community partnerships, and advancing meaningful advocacy efforts that improve the lives of women, children, and families.  

In her professional life, Kristin serves as the Executive Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Advocacy at Primrose Schools. In this role, she leads strategic efforts designed to deepen community impact, build strong public-private partnerships, and shape effective public policy in partnership with 560 Primrose schools across 36 states and Washington D.C. In this role she also leads the Primrose Schools Partnership for Children, a 501(c)(3) organization that advances opportunities for all children, with particular attention to those who face inequities or are underserved. Through this work, Kristin helps to guide philanthropic investments, strengthen nonprofit collaborations, and expand access to high-quality early learning environments.  

Kristin's work experience spans state government, national nonprofits, and education policy at the highest levels. Before joining Primrose Schools, she served as Chief Policy and Research Officer at Start Early, a Chicago-based national non-profit. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Commissioner at Georgia's Department of Early Care and Learning and as the Education Policy Advisory to Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. Her leadership, vision, and commitment to system-level change for children and families were recognized nationally when she was named a 2018 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow.  

Kristin holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Georgia and earned her Juris Doctor from Georgia State University. She resides in Marietta, Georgia, where she and her husband, Patrick, are raising their two young sons. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Vote Mama Foundation, on the Executive Committee of the Nonprofit Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia, and as the Chair of the Junior League of Atlanta’s Community Advisory Board.  Whether leading within her profession, supporting communities through the Junior League, or influencing policy that shapes the lives of families nationwide, Kristin remains deeply committed to creating meaningful, lasting impact for future generations.