Board

Ms. Pembroke is a 31-year resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia and serves as Director & Senior Counsel on the Government Relations team within the Law Department of Discover Financial Services (“Discover”), a Fortune 300 direct banking and payment services company that is one of the largest credit card issuers in the United States.  Ms. Pembroke provides legal, strategic and political advice across all the areas where Discover has interest in Washington and on Capitol Hill and has long time expertise in banking, housing, consumer, student lending and Community Reinvestment Act matters.  She began her legal career on Capitol Hill – first as legislative counsel to a Tennessee Democrat, followed by another eight years as Counsel to the United States Senate Banking Committee, on the Republican staff.  Following her Capitol Hill service, Ms. Pembroke worked for two Fortune 50 companies – Citibank and Freddie Mac, focusing on affordable housing and community development issues.  Ms. Pembroke also spent a number of years in the world of philanthropy.  At Special Olympics International, she worked on corporate development and government relations and at the Council on Foundations she served as chief of staff, focusing on international and rural philanthropy. Just prior to coming to Discover, Ms. Pembroke spent several years in private equity and holds Series 7, 24, and 66 licenses.  After receiving both her undergraduate degree and her law degree from Marquette University, she has been committed to community service since first trick or treating for UNICEF.  A veteran of over 20 Habitat for Humanity builds, a guest lecturer on politics and lobbying at Marquette, and since 2011 has served as an independent director of Virginia Community Capital, the largest Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in the Commonwealth.  Ms. Pembroke and her husband have lived in their home in Great Falls, Virginia since 1995.