About

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 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, senior policy analyst, initially joined the CBP in 2005 and served the organization for nearly eight years analyzing trends in California’s labor market. After a year hiatus, Alissa rejoined the CBP in April 2014. Prior to joining the CBP, Alissa worked as a researcher in the Education Policy Center at the Urban Institute and conducted research for various organizations including the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. Alissa holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology 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.

William Chen joined the CBP as a policy analyst in October 2014. Before coming to the CBP, he was a research associate in the federal fiscal policy division at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, DC. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Amherst College.

Miranda Everitt was a summer intern at the CBP in 2014 and is a master’s degree in public policy candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. Miranda has worked as a research assistant at UC-Berkeley’s Food Labor Research Center. She also has worked in communications at Alameda County Community Food Bank and HandsOn Bay Area, and as a newspaper reporter and editor in Ohio and California. She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University.

Scott Graves is the CBP’s director of research. Prior to joining the CBP in 2002, 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 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.

Luke Reidenbach joined the CBP as a policy analyst in 2013. Prior to joining the CBP, he was a research assistant at the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics, a program of the University of California, Berkeley’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. Luke holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Kristin Schumacher joined the CBP as a policy analyst in 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.

Selena Teji joined the CBP as a corrections and criminal justice policy analyst in April 2014. Prior to joining the CBP, Selena was a communications and policy analyst with the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco. Selena holds a juris doctorate degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and a bachelor’s degree in English and American literature from the University of Manchester in England.

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.