The California Budget Project works to improve public policies that affect low- and middle-income Californians through independent research, budget and policy analysis, and public education. Since 1995, the CBP has served as a resource for policy makers, advocates, community leaders, interested citizens, and the media.
Through the California Budget Bites blog, we hope to highlight important policy and budget developments in a very timely way.
About the contributors:
Chris Hoene became the CBP’s executive director in October 2012, bringing to the organization 15 years of strategic leadership in state and local policy research and advocacy. Prior to joining the CBP, he was director of the Center for Research & Innovation at the National League of Cities in Washington, DC, leading efforts to analyze trends in local and state government and promote constructive policy action on public finance and various other issues. Chris previously worked for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Public Policy Institute of California. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Idaho.
Alissa Anderson is the deputy director of the CBP. Prior to joining the CBP, she was a research associate in the Education Policy Center at the Urban Institute. She also held a research internship at the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy and provided research consulting to several organizations, including the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies. She received a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree from Bryn Mawr College.
Steven Bliss is the CBP’s communications director. Prior to this, he was executive director of Renew Lehigh Valley, an organization working to promote urban revitalization and regional equity in eastern Pennsylvania. Steven previously worked as a San Francisco-based consultant specializing in policy research and analysis on housing, welfare, education, transportation, and regional economic development. Steven is a graduate of Northwestern University and holds a master’s degree in literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Scott Graves is a senior policy analyst at the CBP specializing in health and human services issues. Prior to joining the CBP, he worked as a researcher for the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, Consumers Union, and the Public Policy Clinic at the University of Texas, Austin. He also was a California executive fellow and worked as a newspaper reporter. He received a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Texas, Austin, and a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento.
Jonathan Kaplan is a senior policy analyst at the CBP specializing in educational issues. Prior to joining the CBP, he taught law and United States history in Martinez, California. He holds a master’s degree in education from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and received his bachelor’s degree from Yale University.
Phaelen Parker joined the CBP as a research assistant in September 2012. Prior to joining the CBP, he served as an intern with the Community and Family Resources Department of the City of Bloomington, Indiana. Phaelen holds a master’s degree in policy analysis and economic development from Indiana University and is a graduate of Whittier College.
Hope Richardson joined the CBP as a policy analyst in June 2012. Prior to coming to the CBP, Hope served as a policy consultant to the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center and interned at the San Francisco Human Services Agency. Hope holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a graduate of Wellesley College.
Kristin Schumacher joined the CBP as a policy analyst in February 2013. Prior to this, she taught public policy and administration at the University of Colorado Denver and held research positions with the University and the Feminist Majority Foundation. Kristin has a Ph.D. in public affairs from the University of Colorado Denver and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas, Austin.
Jean Ross served as the first executive director of the CBP from January 1995 until March 2012. She is currently US Program Officer for Transparent, Effective, and Accountable Government at the Ford Foundation. Prior to joining the CBP, she served as principal consultant to the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee; senior consultant to the Assembly Human Services Committee; and assistant research director of the Service Employees International Union in Washington, DC. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and has a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
