Rebekah is excited to return to her roots in the Philadelphia arts and culture community as Vice President of External Affairs for The Franklin Institute.

Becky joins the Institute from Lankenau Medical Center, part of the Main Line Health System, where she served as the Executive Director of Development. With nearly 30 years of fundraising experience—strong relationships with donors, volunteers, and colleagues are hallmarks of her career.

Becky’s previous experience includes 19 years as Director of Institutional Advancement for Philadelphia’s historic Walnut Street Theatre. During her tenure at the Walnut, Becky mentored a stellar fundraising team that successfully secured philanthropic support from the Walnut's 53,000 subscribers, prominent Philadelphia philanthropists, corporations, foundations, and government sources. She produced numerous fundraising events, authored five strategic plans, and served as the executive liaison to the Walnut's governing board.

Becky is a frequent speaker on fundraising, boards, and non-profit careers. Leadership Philadelphia has named her one of Philadelphia’s 76 Creative Connectors, and she is a past Board Chair of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. Among her colleagues region-wide, Becky is known as an exceptionally strong "storyteller" with a remarkable ability to bring an organization's mission to life as she serves as an ambassador in the community.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hamilton College in New York, Becky resides in Philadelphia with her husband, The Reverend Canon Kirk T. Berlenbach, and their three children.