Five 2011 Graduates Poised to Lead as State Policy Fellows
WASHINGTON, DC - The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), in coordination with the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative (SFAI), announces the selection of five top graduates to serve as 2011 State Policy Fellows. The newly appointed Fellows make up the program's second class serving two years as research and policy analysts at independent think tanks across the country.
This fall, Fellows will begin placements at state policy organizations in the SFAI network in North Carolina, Mississippi, Virginia, and Washington State, and with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' State Fiscal Project in Washington, DC. Fellows will analyze the impact of state budget and tax policy choices on low-income residents and promote positive reforms. In addition to engaging in policy debates, Fellows will benefit from the mentorship of a community leader and participate in career development trainings.
"Each of the 2011 Fellows has not only tremendous analytic skills, but also a real passion for strengthening low-income families and communities," said Nicholas Johnson, Vice President for State Fiscal Policy at CBPP. "It's very exciting that they'll launch their careers with some of the best public policy organizations working at the state level today."
The State Policy Fellowship Program seeks to enhance the diversity of voices engaged in state-level fiscal policy debates affecting low- and moderate-income people as states continue to combat the effects of the recession, the worst since the 1930s. The highly competitive program has attracted more than 600 applicants in its first two years of existence.
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About the State Policy Fellowship Program, SFAI, and CBPP:
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities coordinates the State Policy Fellowship Program in partnership with member organizations of the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative. The State Policy Fellowships have been made possible by donations and by generous commitments from The Stoneman Family Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Moriah Fund, and Charles H. Revson Foundation.
The State Fiscal Analysis Initiative is a national network of independent state policy organizations in 31 states, with groups in eleven more states under development. Through rigorous, timely analyses and extensive public education and outreach, SFAI groups work to:
- strengthen policies that affect low- and moderate- income families, such as health care, welfare reform, education, and child care;
- promote options to make state tax systems more equitable and more effective in raising needed resources; and
- help other nonprofits and the general public participate in debates about budget priorities. The SFAI network is coordinated by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, one of the nation's premier policy organizations working at the federal and state levels on budget priorities and tax policy as well as public programs that affect low- and moderate- income families and communities.