STAFF AND BOARD

Michael Cassidy is the Executive Director of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, a nonprofit think tank focused on providing independent research, analysis and public education on budget and tax issues, with emphasis on the impact of fiscal decisions on low- and moderate-income Virginians. Before joining The Commonwealth Institute, Michael conducted program evaluations as an analyst at the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget. He also worked for several years as a budget analyst at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget where he handled policy development, regulatory and legislative review and budgetary process and execution for a wide variety of social policy programs. He began his career in tax policy for the federal government and also worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in their government consulting practice.

Michael graduated from Georgetown University, and has a master’s degree in public policy from the College of William and Mary, where he was a Thomas Jefferson Fellow.

John McInerney serves as the Institute’s health policy director.  John produces analysis and research on state and federal healthcare topics, including issues of access, financing, and quality important to the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Prior to joining The Commonwealth Institute, John worked as a Program Manager at the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), where he conducted research and worked closely with State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) directors from across the country.  He served as a resource and provided technical assistance and support to state directors on SCHIP reauthorization and other key programmatic issues. Previously, John analyzed health financing issues at the U.S. Congressional Joint Economic Committee and served as Director of Communications and Research for a state senator. 
 
He has a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College and a Master's of Public Policy from Georgetown University.

Sara Okos is the Institute's Policy Analyst. Sara analyzes and conducts research on a wide array of state fiscal policies including tax policies, the overall budget process and health care.

Prior to joining The Commonwealth Institute, Sara worked for the Governor's office in Michigan. She has a master's degree in public policy from William and Mary and a bachelor's degree from Notre Dame.

Advisory Board

Nancy Roberts currently serves as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Council on Virginia’s Future. She served as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources in Governor Mark R. Warner’s administration. She also served as a Section Manager in the Virginia General Assembly’s Division of Legislative Services, where she oversaw statutory drafting and policy analysis related to education, health, mental health, social services and natural resources. Nancy served as Deputy Secretary of Economic Development for Governor Gerald L. Baliles and as Manager of the Commerce and Resources Section in the Department of Planning and Budget. A native Virginian, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from the College of William and Mary and a Master of Public Administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. She also completed post-graduate work in Public Policy and Administration at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she is an adjunct faculty member for the Department of Political Science and Public Administration.

Lou Rossiter serves as the Research Professor and Director of The Schroeder Center for Healthcare Policy, which is a division of the Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy, Arts & Sciences at the College of William and Mary. He is also Director of Research at the Center for Excellence in Aging and Geriatric Health in Williamsburg, Virginia. Lou is formerly the Secretary of Health and Human Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia. As Secretary, he managed 13 agencies, 17,000 employees, and a $5 billion budget to enhance the health and independence of all Virginians. While Secretary, he directed the implementation of Governor Gilmore's new private health insurance program for children and families; ensured significant further improvement in the state’s mental health system; created new policy initiatives in the emerging field of human genetics; and managed major information technology projects in the Secretariat. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Academy Health (since 2005), and as a member of the R.W. Johnson Foundation National Advisory Panel for “Changes in Health Care Financing and Delivery” (since 1997).

Kirk Jonas is director of the University of Richmond Research Institute. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wake Forest University, a master’s degree in political science from the University of Richmond, and a Ph.D. in public policy from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the former deputy director of Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) and is the author or co-author of dozens of JLARC evaluations of state programs and agencies. He was the editor of “Legislative Program Evaluation: Utilization Driven Research for Decision Makers” (1999) and the author of several articles on evaluation and budgeting. Kirk has held numerous offices in the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and was a member of the Urban Institute’s “Legislating for Results” advisory group. He teaches courses on public policy decision making, applied public policy research and government reform. He has led numerous groups in budgeting and decision-making exercises.

Harris Weinstein is a senior counsel at the law firm of Covington & Burling. His practice focuses on complex civil litigation, and his recent cases have included private and government suits under securities and banking laws, claims of breach of rail transportation contracts, infringement and other questions under the patent laws, and defense of actions brought by self-styled animal rights activists. He has appeared in federal district courts throughout the country and has argued appeals in a majority of the U.S. Courts of Appeals. He has also argued nine cases in the U.S. Supreme Court. From 1990 to 1992, Mr. Weinstein served as Chief Counsel of the Office of Thrift Supervision in the U.S. Department of the Treasury. From 1967 to 1969, he was an assistant to the Solicitor General, U.S. Department of Justice. Earlier, he was a law clerk to Judge William H. Hastie, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1961-1962. He was a Public Member of the Administrative Conference of the United States, 1982-1990, and was chairman of the Conference's Committee on Government Processes, 1985-1990.

Alice Mountjoy is an advocate for social justice, public education and violence prevention. Alice has worked with legislators, local government representatives, law enforcement and the education and medical communities throughout Virginia in the last 15 years. She served as President and Board Chairman for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy from 2003-2005. She has represented the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia on this Board, which advocates for social justice for the most vulnerable Virginians, since 1998. She was a teacher in Norfolk before working as a freelance consultant for food and appliance companies in Virginia. Alice has volunteered with various organizations including the Virginia PTA. She was a founding member of Virginians Against Handgun Violence and served as State President for the organization for four years. In 1999, she completed the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership training to become a Sorensen Fellow.

C. Douglas Smith is the Executive Director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. Doug works to "build a more just and compassionate Commonwealth" on behalf of a unique Christian, Jewish, and Islamic partnership in Virginia. The Interfaith Center advocates on a broad range of state issues including those related to children’s health, church/state, welfare reform, poverty and the working poor, and tax modernization. An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Doug has served as a pastor, church builder, coordinator of mission volunteers, and has been consultative staff, and at times Acting Director, with Week of Compassion, the relief and development fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) since 1999. He was formerly on staff with the World Council of Churches in Geneva, and was the Senior Web Strategist for the country’s largest interfaith media-producing organization’s Internet presence, FaithandValues.com. He is a graduate of James Madison University (B.S.), Lexington Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and continues a life of learning through various policy institutes and management programs. He is a 2005 Sorensen Fellow at the University of Virginia and recently has been awarded recognition by the Muslim American Society and named a World Changer by JMU.