We’re pleased to announce that the Budget & Policy Center is growing and making strategic organizational changes to increase our impact and build on our efforts to create a state in which everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
From left: Jennifer Tran, Misha Werschkul, Melinda Young-Flynn
The Center has created a new leadership team that will work to guide the organization as it expands its reach in the coming years. Jennifer Tran, who has been promoted to a new research and policy director role, and Director of Communications Melinda Young-Flynn will be on this team led by Executive Director Misha Werschkul. Together with the staff and the board, the leadership trio will work to ensure the organization is fulfilling the strategic goals of its 2018-2022 strategic plan. The strategic plan aims to ensure that our organization is an ever more influential force to advance economic well-being and racial equity for Washingtonians. Its goals include building power for major statewide economic and fiscal policy wins; amplifying our work and our impact with external audiences; and ensuring we have strong internal capacities to be effective in our work.
On the policy team, Julie Watts is shifting from her role as deputy director into a government relations liaison position, where she will develop strategies to ensure the Budget & Policy Center and our partners have a strong voice in the legislative process. Julie and her family recently moved to Olympia and this role change allows us to engage more intentionally with legislators and key policymakers.
These changes to our policy team come on the heels of recently welcoming Margaret Babayan, the 2018-2020 Narver Fellow, to our team as a policy analyst. We will also soon be announcing our 2019-2020 Narver Fellow. (Stay tuned to social media for that news!)
In order to support our growth, we’re hiring for a new position focused on internal operations. The operations manager role will provide critical internal support to the growing needs of our team and our infrastructure. We will also be posting a position soon for a new member of our team who will be responsible for working with coalition partners to advance efforts to implement a modern Working Families Tax Credit.
“Jennifer and Melinda have each proven themselves as strong leaders for economic justice and racial equity. Each bring deep experience and expertise with advancing public policy changes, aligning our team and key partners around a shared vision and goals, and bringing intentionality and thoughtfulness to our work,” said Misha Werschkul, executive director of the Budget & Policy Center. “We have an opportunity and a responsibility to accomplish greater collective impact, and I am incredibly fortunate to work with such incredible team at the Budget & Policy Center to advance our mission.”