Dr. Denis J. Prager brings over 30 years of experience as a senior consultant, working with public, private, and family foundations, as well as nonprofits across the U.S. He has helped CEOs and boards of directors achieve organizational excellence by sharpening missions, refining programmatic goals, enhancing implementation strategies, and strengthening outcome metrics. His expertise extends to improving organizational structures, operations, and board effectiveness.

A central aspect of Dr. Prager's work is building strong, trusting relationships between governing boards and staff leadership. This is achieved through:

• Promoting shared accountability for fulfilling organizational missions

• Identifying and removing barriers to operational effectiveness

• Providing leadership coaching and support

• Developing comprehensive succession plans

Dr. Prager’s career began in biomedical research and technology, where he developed medical and diagnostic instrumentation at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and conducted laboratory research at Stanford University. After earning his PhD, he managed research funding for fertility control at NIH, followed by seven years at Battelle, where he led programs developing fertility control technologies.

He later joined the U.S. President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), where he played a key role in shaping national policies in health and agricultural research. At the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, he established the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable (GUIRR), an innovative collaboration that continues today.

In philanthropy, Dr. Prager began his work at the MacArthur Foundation, where he served as deputy director and later director of its first major program in health, overseeing research initiatives in mental health, human development, and tropical diseases.

Dr. Prager holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a PhD in medical science from Stanford University.