Lynn Harwell

Lynn Harwell is Vice President for Administration at the Barr Foundation, where she leads the core operational functions that support the organization’s mission. Her areas of responsibility include grants management and contracts administration, office management and workplace experience, accounting and finance, IT and business systems, facilities, and overall organizational effectiveness. She also helps shape the Foundation’s approach to knowledge management—ensuring that essential knowledge and practices are well organized, shared, and applied across teams.

Drawing on a career that spans public, nonprofit, and private sectors, Lynn plays a key leadership role in strengthening how the Foundation operates. She focuses on aligning people, processes, and tools to support a culture of collaboration, inclusion, and continuous improvement. Lynn is committed to helping teams work more effectively together and to creating the conditions for individuals and groups to thrive, learn, and lead with clarity and purpose. She works to advance a vibrant and resilient civic and philanthropic landscape.

Before joining Barr, Lynn held senior executive and administrative roles in biomedical research, technology, and media and entertainment. She began her career as a tax CPA and later earned a JD from Harvard Law School and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She also holds a BS in Business Administration from Boston University.