The Reverend Debra W. Haffner is Co-founder and Executive Director of the Religious Institute. An ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, she is the endorsed community minister with the Unitarian Church in Westport, CT.

Rev. Haffner was the chief executive officer of SIECUS, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, from 1988-2000 and the author of three guides for congregations on sexuality as well as author of best-selling books for parents: From Diapers to Dating: A Parent's Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children; Beyond the Big Talk: Every Parent's Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Teens; and What Every 21st Century Parent Needs to Know: Facing Today's Challenges with Wisdom and Heart.

Rev. Haffner has a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary, a Master of Public Health degree from the Yale University School of Medicine and an undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University.