Julie Kennedy Lesch
Grants Manager

Julie joined Merck in 2004 as Grants Manager for the Merck Institute of Aging & Health (MIAH). Prior to joining Merck, she served as the Senior Research Coordinator in the Office for University Development and Alumni Relations at New York University, where she worked on major gift fundraising strategies. Julie has also worked with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America in a fundraising capacity and Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters as a program assistant.

As the Grants Manager at MCAN, Julie oversees and manages the MCAN grantees, which includes serving as the principal liaison to the program sites, monitoring grantee performance, and facilitating grantee communications and networking. She also provides oversight for the independent cross-site evaluation of MCAN programs. Additionally, Julie assists in the administration and ongoing operations of the Network and actively participates in helping to publicize MCAN’s mission and program portfolio.

She received her B.A. in Sociology and English from Tulane University and completed her M.P.A. in public policy and nonprofit management at New York University.