Andrea Whitsett is the executive director of Morrison Institute for Public Policy, a nonpartisan research institute that houses the Kyl Center for Water Policy, the Arizona Research Center for Housing and Economic Solutions (ARCHES), and the Arizona Governance and Policy Academy. During her tenure, Whitsett has overseen the publication of numerous research studies and public opinion polls on a broad range of topics including child well-being, housing, educator retention and policing. Whitsett was named a “40 Under 40” honoree and an "Outstanding Women in Business" honoree by the Phoenix Business Journal as well as a "Leader of the Year in Public Policy" by the Arizona Capitol Times.
Whitsett is a proud trustee of the Desert Botanical Garden. She is also a longtime member of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s DATOS Research Committee and is a founding member of the Latinas in Philanthropy and Service giving circle at the Arizona Community Foundation. Whitsett is passionate about affordable housing and was recently appointed to the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council. She is past president of the national Consortium of University Public Service Organizations.
Whitsett holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Yale University where she was awarded an Amy Rossborough Fellowship through the Yale Women’s Center. Whitsett graduated from Arizona State University with a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management and has taught as a faculty associate in ASU’s School of Community Resources and Development.