Amanda Heerwig (she/her) is pursuing her Executive Master of Public Administration at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government. She lives in Philadelphia and currently works for Wharton External Affairs as the Senior Associate Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations, where she helps secure grants to fund critical research. Amanda brings more than 15 years of fundraising experience across mission-driven nonprofits—including Ford’s Theatre Society, NPR, Georgetown Law, and the National Building Museum—reflecting her deep commitment to partnership-building and institutional advancement. A passionate community builder, Amanda leads the Philadelphia Dachshund Group in her free time, organizing lively meetups and events for a growing network of more than 1,000 local dachshunds and their owners. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from The George Washington University and loves spending time with her family, including her two dachshunds, Harper Lee & Hawthorne.
