Judy Estey joined LISC DC as Senior Program Officer in July 2024. She manages the HUD Section 4 capacity building grants program and supports other community development initiatives.

Prior to joining LISC, Judy served asExecutive Director of the Platform of Hope, an innovative community-based nonprofit based in Adams Morgan/Columbia Heights that works with families of color to identify and pursue socio-economic success. As Executive Director, Judy led POH’s internal and external functions, including strategy, communications, community engagement, operations, financial oversight and fund development. She also represented the organization on the Housing Justice Group of the Fair Budget Coalition, including serving as Co-Chair from 2022-2023. Before POH, Judy spent nine years leading the development office at Dance Place in Northeast, DC, during which time she oversaw $1.3 million in fundraising annually, as well as directed the organization’s $4.5 million capital campaign and managed the 8th St Arts Park project (construction, public art, steering committee, community engagement and development). For two years she served as a co-chair of the steering committee for Arts Action DC, the local advocacy organization for arts organizations and creatives, in which capacity she organized Arts Advocacy Day 2017-2018 and was a leader in the efforts to secure dedicated tax funding for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in 2018. Judy was a member of the 2012-2013 Future Executive Directors Fellowship at the Nonprofit Roundtable, served on the Board for Dance Metro DC from 2018-2020 and from 2021-2022 was a member of Cohort V of the Equity Lab’s Seeding Disruption program.

Judy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Dance from Barnard College, Columbia University, where she graduated magna cum laude. She is currently pursuing a Master’s of Public Policy Management from Georgetown University.