Denise Holmes

As chief counsel for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Denise Holmes provides independent, strategic guidance and management of organizational opportunities that support the Foundation’s mission and engages staff across all departments to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion. She reviews and recommends institutional policies and procedures, works to promote an ethical culture of compliance throughout the Foundation, assesses ethical, contractual and legal requirements, and reviews or prepares contracts and other legal documents.

Ms. Holmes is an attorney and a former higher education association executive. In 13 years on the program/policy staff of a national association, she developed and operationalized national and global initiatives, wrote on an array of health policy issues, and engaged in strategic planning. Ms. Holmes has served on boards of directors of several national and global health nongovernmental organizations and has long been an active volunteer in her local community. 

Ms. Holmes received her AB magna cum laude in American Studies from Mount Holyoke College, her JD from the Columbia University School of Law, and her MPH from The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and Hygiene (now known as the Bloomberg School of Public Health). Ms. Holmes was an Atlantic Fellow in Public Policy in 2000-2001, based at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.