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Carol Kellermann

Carol Kellermann is President of the Citizens Budget Commission. Kellermann 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. Kellermann 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 Consulting Research Director 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 Vice President & Director of State Studies 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.

Maria Doulis

Maria Doulis is Director of City Studies at the Citizens Budget Commission. She manages New York City budget analysis and government studies. Her research focuses on urban competitiveness, municipal labor relations, the public workforce and infrastructure policy. She has authored reports and blogs frequently on topics such as budget deficits, capital planning, PLANYC, public-private partnerships, employee compensation, and pension and health insurance obligations at both the State and City levels. Maria also oversees the publication of the "Pocket Summary" and the “Pension Sweetener Scorecard.” Prior to the Citizens Budget Commission, Doulis 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 The George Washington University and a BA from Queens College of the City University of New York.

Tammy Gamerman

Tammy Gamerman is a Senior Research Associate at the Citizens Budget Commission.  Gamerman 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, Gamerman 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.

Matthew Sollars

Matthew Sollars is a Senior Research Associate at the Citizens Budget Commission. He covers New York State budget, tax policy and health care issues. Prior to joining the Citizens Budget Commission, he was a politics and government reporter at Crain’s New York Business and a news producer at WNYC. He received his BA in Italian Literature from Columbia University and an MA in journalism from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.

Rahul Jain

Rahul Jain is a Research Associate at the Citizens Budget Commission. He covers regional transportation and economic development issues, with a focus on the City of New York. Most notably he made empirical contributions to a benchmarking report on operations of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Jain has worked in a number of capacities with local and state government, performing research for the Georgia Office of Planning and Budget, the City of Marietta, and Georgia Tech’s Economic Development arm. Prior to this research work, Jain worked as an underwriter in the financial services industry for five years. Jain holds a MURP and MSPP from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a BS from the Stern School of Business.

Connor Mealey

Connor Mealey is a Research Assistant.  He received a BA in Political Science and English from Castleton State College.

Gal FIx

Gal Fix is a Research Associate at the Citizens Budget Commission. She covers education finance, migration, and New York City taxes. She received her BS in Financial Economics from the University of Toronto and is pursuing a MA degree in Economics from New York University.

Corey Kunz

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

Laura Colacurcio

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