Carol Kellermann

Carol Kellermann is President of the Citizens Budget Commission. Carol has over 25 years experience in leadership positions in non-profit, philanthropic, and government settings. She has recently served as Interim Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers and PENCIL, Inc., and as a consultant to City University of New York, where she initiated a pilot program to improve graduation rates and job outcomes at CUNY’s six community colleges. As Executive Director and CEO of the September 11 Fund she oversaw the $500+ million charitable fund, which provided grants and assistance for the short and long term needs of victims of the September 11th attacks. Prior to that, she was Executive Director of Learning Leaders, the oldest and largest volunteer program in the New York City public schools. Carol has been chief of staff to then Congressman Charles E. Schumer and held various executive positions in New York City government, including Deputy Commissioner of the NYC Department of Finance. She holds degrees from Harvard Law School and Harvard College.

Charles Brecher

Charles Brecher is Executive Vice President and Director of Research for the Citizens Budget Commission. He has served in this capacity since 1986 and for several years before then was a research consultant to the Commission.

Brecher is also a Professor of Health and Public Administration at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Brecher is the author and editor of numerous books and articles in the fields of state and local budgeting and health care financing. His books include Power Failure: New York City Politics and Policy Since 1960, written with Raymond D. Horton and published by Oxford University Press, and Privatization and Public Hospitals, a Twentieth Century Fund Report. He received a BA degree with honors from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in political science from the Graduate Division of the City University of New York.

Elizabeth Lynam

Elizabeth Lynam is the Deputy Research Director at the Citizens Budget Commission. Lynam covers the New York State and City budgets and other policy issues important to state and local government. She works closely with the media, and has designed and authored studies on reforming New York State’s fiscal practices, Medicaid, special education policy, collective bargaining, alternatives to incarceration for drug offenders, and local tax relief.

Prior to the Citizens Budget Commission, Lynam was the Deputy Director of the Office of Special Education Initiatives at the New York City Department of Education, where she helped manage the transformation of the way special education services are delivered in New York City public schools. She received her BS from Cornell University and an MS in Urban Policy and Management from the New School University.

Selma Mustovic

Selma Mustovic is a Senior Research Associate at the Citizens Budget Commission. Mustovic covers the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) budget and has also written and contributed to studies on reforming New York State’s fiscal practices, debt affordability, education finance reform, and Medicaid.

Prior to the Citizens Budget Commission, Mustovic worked as research assistant in Merrill Lynch’s U.S. Financial Economics group, where she helped build and maintain forecasting models for U.S. macroeconomic indicators.  She received her BA in Economics and MA in International Economic Policy from Columbia University.

Maria Doulis

Maria Doulis is a Senior Research Associate at the Citizens Budget Commission. She is the lead analyst in charge of New York City budget analysis and government studies.  Her previous research has focused primarily on education and infrastructure policy, and she has authored CBC reports on capital planning, PLANYC and public-private partnerships.  She is currently working on policy issues related to labor relations, collective bargaining, and employee compensation at both the State and City levels.  Maria also oversees the publication of the “Pocket Summary.”

Prior to the Citizens Budget Commission, Maria worked for the Council of Graduate Schools and the Government Performance Project. She is pursuing a doctoral degree in Public Administration from New York University and holds an MPA from George Washington University and a BA from Queens College.

Tammy Pels

Tammy Pels is a Senior Research Associate at the Citizens Budget Commission.  Pels covers the New York State budget, tax policy, economic development and housing policy issues.  She has conducted extensive research on property taxes and local tax relief.  

Prior to the Citizens Budget Commission, Pels was a Research Assistant at the Center for Youth and Communities at The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.  She received a BA from Brandeis University and a MA in Economics from The New School.

Courtney Wolf

Courtney is a Research Associate at the Citizens Budget Commission. Her areas of research include the New York City budget and government affairs, as well as healthcare issues as they impact the city and state budgets.  She has also contributed to a comparative study of New York State fiscal policy, and is working on analyses of the New York City Water Board’s capital program and union welfare funds.

Prior to joining the Citizens Budget Commission, Courtney worked as a Research Assistant at the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy while completing her MUP at New York University. She also holds a BA from Boston College.

Corey Kunz

Corey is the Director of Operations. He holds a BA in Political Science and History from Brown University and a MA in Politics and Education from Columbia University.

Kevin Medina

Kevin is the Communications and Public Affairs Associate. He holds a BA and MA in Political Science from St. Johns University.

Laura Colacurcio

Laura is the Development Associate. She holds a BA in Mass Communication and a minor in Economics from the University of Delaware.