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Of Note

Now Hiring: Communications Director CPPP is hiring a Communications Director to start between August 1 and September 2, 2008. Applications are due at the close of business on Friday, June 6.
> more What Does It Really Take to Get By in Texas? It’s been well documented that the federal poverty level doesn’t accurately measure today’s cost of living. But what does it really take to get by in Texas?
> more A Guide Through the Matrix of HHSC Contracting CPPP has created a contracting matrix that describes major HHSC contracting opportunities related to the delivery of health and human services.
> more Proof of Citizenship for Medicaid: Tell Us Your Stories! Please let us know if you or someone you are helping has had Medicaid delayed or denied because of Medicaid's new proof of citizenship requirement.
> more Problems Enrolling in Public Benefits? If you or someone you are helping is having problems enrolling for benefits through Texas' new eligibility system, please let us know.
> more Promoting Prosperity for Texas: The Role of State and Local Governments This ten-minute video by Executive Director Scott McCown is designed for you to use to teach others about the funding challenges facing Texas. There's no waiting--the video begins instantly.
> more

STAFF


Who Are We?


F. Scott McCown, Executive Director
Anne Dunkelberg, Associate Director
Dick Lavine, Senior Fiscal Analyst
Eva DeLuna Castro, Senior Budget Analyst
Celia Hagert, Senior Policy Analyst
Don Baylor, Senior Policy Analyst
Frances Deviney, Texas KIDS COUNT Director
Amy Thompson, Policy Analyst
Stacey Pogue, Policy Analyst
Lynsey Kluever, Communications Director
Lesley Ramsey, Outreach Director
Janet Hutchison, Development Director
Valerie Davidson, Manager of Finance and Administration
F. Scott McCown, Executive Director

Scott McCown retired as a state district judge in 2002 to become director of the center. Called "the voice of the voiceless" and "the conscience" of Texas politics by Texas Monthly, he is responsible for the center's direction and administration. He is also an expert on school finance and child welfare. Before coming to the center, he presided over all of Texas' public school finance cases from 1990-2002 and thousands of child abuse cases. He is a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and an elected member of the American Law Institute and the Philosophical Society of Texas.

McCown earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, cum laude, from Texas Christian University in 1976, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence with honors from The University of Texas School of Law in 1979, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and to the Board of Editors of The Texas Law Review.

Anne Dunkelberg, Associate Director

Anne Dunkelberg joined the center in 1994. She is one of the state's leading experts in policy and budget issues relating to health care access. In 2007, she was named Consumer Advocate of the Year by Families USA in Washington, D.C. Before coming to the center, she served as Program Director for Acute Care in the Texas Medicaid Director's Office and spent six years with the Texas Research League, where she authored numerous reports on Texas health and human services issues and tracked state health and human services budget issues. She earned dual degrees from The University of Texas at Austin—a Bachelor of Arts (Plan II), magna cum laude, in 1979 and a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs in 1988.

Dick Lavine, Senior Fiscal Analyst

Dick Lavine joined the center in 1994. He focuses on state tax and revenue issues. Before coming to the center, he was a Senior Researcher at the House Research Organization of the Texas House of Representatives, where he covered budget and tax issues. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst, a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Texas Library System, and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Travis Central Appraisal District. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, magna cum laude, from Harvard College in 1969 and a Doctor of Jurisprudence, cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975.

Eva DeLuna Castro, Senior Budget Analyst

Eva DeLuna Castro joined the center in 1998. She focuses on state budget issues. Before coming to the center, she was an Analyst for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, researching various policy issues related to state revenue and spending. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Literature, cum laude, from Harvard University in 1988 and a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin in 1997.

Celia Hagert, Senior Policy Analyst

Celia Hagert joined the center in 1998. She works on food and nutrition policy, privatization of social services, and the TANF cash assistance program. Before coming to the center, she worked as a Policy Specialist for the Texas Department of Human Services and as a Health and Human Services Policy Analyst for a private consulting firm in Washington, D.C. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Columbia University in 1991 and a Master of Arts from the Institute of Latin American Studies at The University of Texas at Austin in 1996.

Don Baylor, Senior Policy Analyst

Don Baylor joined the center in 2004 and focuses on workforce and economic development. Before coming to the center, he served as a Legislative Director at New York ACORN, where he specialized in such issues as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the minimum wage, affordable housing, and welfare reform. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Georgetown University in 1994 and a Master of Arts in African American and Southern History with honors from The University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1997.

Frances Deviney, Texas KIDS COUNT Director

Frances Deviney joined the center in 2005. As KIDS COUNT Director, she tracks the status of child well-being in Texas by collecting and analyzing state and county-level data. She also helps coordinate the center's family economic security work. Before coming to the center, she was a Research Specialist at the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, a Legislative Director in the Texas House of Representatives, and a Research Analyst at the Families and Schools Together (FAST Track) Project. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Vanderbilt University in 1993 and a Doctorate in Developmental Psychology from The University of Utah in 2002.

Amy Thompson , Policy Analyst

Amy Thompson joined the center in 2007. She is undertaking a special project studying policies relating to the deportation of unaccompanied immigrant children. Before coming to the center, she worked as a consultant for a variety of national and statewide governmental and nonprofit organizations, including the Department of Education, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and the Community Resource Group. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Ethics and Human Rights from American University in 1999 and a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin in 2002.

Stacey Pogue, Policy Analyst

Stacey Pogue joined the center in 2008. She focuses on health policy issues. Before coming to the center, she worked as a Senior Policy Analyst with the Medicaid and CHIP Division of the Health and Human Services Commission. She has also worked to expand health insurance to uninsured Texans through the State Planning Grant with the Texas Department of Insurance. Stacey earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography, summa cum laude, from Texas A&M University in 1997 and a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin in 2005.

Lynsey Kluever, Communications Director

Lynsey Kluever joined the center in 2004. She is responsible for media relations and communications strategy. Before coming to the center, she was an Associate at The Hauser Group, a public interest PR firm in Washington, D.C. At The Hauser Group she managed national and statewide communications campaigns around such issues as economic justice, child welfare, and health care. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Spanish, summa cum laude, from Albion College in 2001 and a Master of Arts in Public Communication with honors from American University in 2002.

Lesley Ramsey, Outreach Director

Lesley Ramsey joined the center in 2006. She is responsible for overseeing the center’s community outreach. Before coming to the center, she served as Executive Director of the Texas Fair Trade Coalition, where she mobilized groups across Texas on fair trade issues. Previously she organized coalitions, planned conferences and rallies, and designed and produced materials for a variety of Texas organizations. She earned a Bachelor of Journalism, with high honors, from The University of Texas at Austin in 1992 and a Master’s of Arts in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin in 1999.
Janet Hutchison, Development Director

Janet Hutchison joined the center in 2000. She is responsible for fundraising and grant administration. Before coming to the center, Janet was Director of Project VITAL, a statewide program for adult literacy organizations. She also spent over ten years as Executive Director of Literacy Austin, where she oversaw program management and fund development for its community-wide volunteer literacy program. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with a minor in Magazine Journalism from The University of Texas in 1983, and has done graduate work at Southwest Texas State University.

Valerie Davidson, Manager of Finance and Administration

Valerie Davidson joined the center in 2002. She is responsible for accounts payable, payroll, and other business. Before coming to the center, Valerie was an administrator in the Office of the District Judges of Travis County. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Southwest Texas State University in 1997.