About the Empire CenterEmpire Center for Public PolicyECPP_2505bb20-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea00The Empire Center for Public Policy, Inc. is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank based in Albany, New York. | The Empire Center is recognized as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (EIN # 46-1987418), which means contributions to the Empire Center are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.New York CitizensNew York CommunitiesNew York Civic InstitutionsEmpire Center TeamEmily D'VertolaEducation Policy Analyst ~ Emily D’Vertola joined the Empire Center as an Education Policy Analyst in August of 2022 after obtaining an MSc in Social and Policy Sciences from Ulster University, Northern Ireland. Her research focused on global comparative education policy/pedagogy, high-stakes testing, funding formulas, and the impact of choice. She holds a BSc in International Business from Cabrini University, and a data-science certification in R from Harvard University. ^^ Emily’s passion for improving the educational landscape comes from her own schooling background and experience with families. She was a member of the first graduating class who went K-12 at a grassroots, nonprofit, public charter school in Pennsylvania. She witnessed first-hand what is possible for schools when they are free to operate effectively, and what is possible for students of all backgrounds when they are free to exercise choice. ^^ She loves spending time with her big extended family, putting her own spin on their traditional recipes, taking and teaching ballet, and being outside with a good book or podcast. Her favorite authors include Thomas Sowell, Stephen M Barr, and Madeleine L’Engle.Kyle DavisDirector of Public Affairs ~ Kyle Davis is the Director of Public Affairs for the Empire Center. His responsibilities include increasing the Empire Center’s presence in the Capitol, building relationships with state and local elected officials, and strengthening advocacy coalitions. He promotes and educates on key Empire Center priorities. ^^ Kyle joined the Empire Center’s team in December 2021. He previously worked at the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce as the Government Relations and Public Policy Manager, and worked closely with other business groups across the State to advance a pro-growth legislative agenda. ^^ He graduated from Binghamton University in 2018 with a Masters Degree in Public Administration and holds both a degree in Political Science and Communications from SUNY Cortland. ^^ He and his wife Jessica reside in Binghamton New York and are actively involved in their church. When not working towards a more flourishing New York, Kyle enjoys fishing with his grandpa or playing with his two dogs Annie and Lilly.Debi GhateExecutive Fellow ~ Debi Ghate is an Executive Fellow at the Empire Center. Ms. Ghate is a trained lawyer, previously practicing civil litigation in Ontario, Canada before moving to California to join the Ayn Rand Institute. At the Institute, she oversaw the education and policy programs before serving on leadership teams at two Foundations, including the Charles Koch Foundation and the Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship. She was previously the Senior Director of Grant Strategy at The Snider Foundation and most recently the Vice President of Strategy and Programs for Philanthropy Roundtable. ^^ Ms. Ghate serves on the boards of Americans for Fair Treatment, Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship, Empire Center for Public Policy, FAMM, and the Government Justice Center. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Biology and French at the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Calgary.Ken GirardinFellow ~ Ken Girardin is a fellow at the Empire Center, where his work focuses on organized labor’s effect and influence on state and local government policy. ^^ Ken worked with E.J. McMahon to produce the first independent analysis of New York’s property tax cap, which demonstrated the cap’s effectiveness and boosted efforts to extend the cap and ultimately make it permanent. He also authored The Janus Stakes, a quantitative analysis of the influence New York’s public-sector unions have over public policy in the Empire State. ^^ Ken has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in materials engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York. He previously worked in the New York State Legislature.Holly GrantAdjunct Fellow ~ Dr. Holly Grant is an Adjunct Fellow with the Empire Center, focusing on education policy. ^^ As a mathematician, Holly specializes in data analysis and simulations. She is affiliated with the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics, the Association of School Business Officials in the State of New York, and completed an advanced Certificate in Educational Finance from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. A certified teacher and professor of mathematics, she has taught elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and professional students in a variety of institutions. ^^ Holly earned a PhD in Mathematics at Virginia Tech, a Master of Arts in Teaching at Montclair State University, and Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Smith College. In June 2022, she was cited as Exceptional Women of Central New York Award recipient for Mother of the Year in New York State’s 128thAssembly District.Bill HammondSenior Fellow for Health Policy ~ As the Empire Center’s senior fellow for health policy, Bill Hammond tracks fast-moving developments in New York’s massive health care industry, with a focus on how decisions made in Albany and Washington affect the well-being of patients, providers, taxpayers and the state’s economy. ^^ Bill has authored reports critiquing a proposed state-run single-payer health care system, documenting Albany’s excessive reliance on health insurance taxes, analyzing the pros and cons of “block-granting” Medicaid, and examining the regulatory missteps surrounding the collapse of Health Republic Insurance. ^^ He also published numerous op-eds and contributes regularly to NY Torch, the Empire Center’s policy blog. ^^ Before joining the Empire Center in 2016, Bill spent almost three decades in newspaper journalism, most recently as a columnist and editorial board member at the New York Daily News from 2005 to 2015. ^^ Before joining the Daily News, Hammond previously wrote for The New York Sun, The Daily Gazette of Schenectady and The Post-Star of Glens Falls. His work has also appeared in Politico New York, the New York Post, City & State, the Albany Times Union, The Buffalo News and The 74. ^^ A graduate of Albany High School and Harvard University, Hammond lives in Saratoga Springs.James E. HanleyFellow ~ James E. Hanley has joined the Empire Center for Public Policy as a fellow, focusing on energy and environmental policy. ^^ Hanley has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Oregon, and was Associate Professor of Political Science at Adrian College before joining the Empire Center. He has published in the American Political Science Review and the Journal of Private Enterprise along with other academic journals, and has written for the Foundation for Economic Education, the Liberty Fund, and the American Institute for Economic Research, where he recently served as an E. C. Harwood Visiting Fellow. ^^ Hanley will lead the Center’s work on energy and environment issues. That will include closely monitoring how the state proposes to implement the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), making sure the true costs are known, and suggesting alternative ways to achieve some of those goals.Tim HoeferPresident & CEO ~ Tim Hoefer is president and CEO of the Empire Center for Public Policy. He joined the Center in March 2008, and previously served as the Center’s director of operations and communications manager. ^^ Hoefer’s work focuses on transparency, government reform and accountability. He has written several papers on those subjects, testified before local and statewide panels and authored various op-eds. His numerous interviews have been featured in print, radio and broadcast media throughout the state. Since its launch in July 2008, Hoefer has been the principal on the Center’s government transparency project, SeeThroughNY.net. ^^ Before joining the Center, Hoefer worked in communications and public affairs with the New York State Senate and Assembly. He also has worked as a consultant for, and on, political campaigns, at the local, state and federal level. ^^ Born and raised in Saratoga, he is a native New Yorker. Hoefer has a bachelor’s degree in government & politics from George Mason University and earned his master’s degree in public policy from New England College.Daphne JordanDirector of Development ~ Daphne Jordan is the Director of Development at the Empire Center, where she spearheads outreach and develops relationships with New Yorkers passionate about making their state a better place to live and work. ^^ During her time in the New York State Legislature, Senator Jordan fought for increased government accountability, transparency and fiscal responsibility, reforms that perfectly align with the Empire Center’s mission. Before serving in the State Senate, Jordan started two successful small businesses. She also served as a councilwoman in Halfmoon, New York. ^^ Senator Jordan graduated from Lehigh University in 1981, earning her B.A. in Government and English, and graduated from Penn State Dickinson School of Law in 1984, earning her Juris Doctor Degree.Ian KingsburyAdjunct Fellow ~ Dr. Ian Kingsbury has rejoined the Empire Center as an adjunct policy fellow. From 2020-21 he was an Empire Center fellow for education policy. ^^ Kingsbury received his PhD in education policy from the University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy . He has published more than ten peer-reviewed studies, mostly addressing school choice. ^^ Kingsbury focuses on protecting and expanding educational freedom in New York. He also analyzes the degree to which New York education spending is anomalous compared to the rest of the country and ways to pare down on costs.Cam MacdonaldAdjunct Fellow ~ Cameron J. “Cam” Macdonald is the Executive Director and General Counsel for the Government Justice Center and an Adjunct Fellow with the Empire Center. ^^ Before his role at GJC, he had represented clients in complex matters around the country, most recently focusing on bankruptcy and commercial litigation at a firm in Baltimore, Maryland. ^^ He earned a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York and a law degree from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. Cam is admitted to the bar in New York.E.J. McMahonFounding Senior Fellow ~ Edmund J. McMahon is the Empire Center’s founding senior fellow. ^^ McMahon’s writing and research focuses on improving New York’s economic competitiveness and promoting greater transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility in state and local government. He has authored or co-authored major studies on public pension reform, collective bargaining, population migration, budget trends and tax policy in New York. His influential “Blueprint for a Better Budget,” published in January 2010, featured a number of recommendations subsequently implemented under Governors David Paterson and Andrew Cuomo. McMahon also was a leading advocate of an across-the-board cap on property taxes in New York before it was enacted at Governor Cuomo’s initiative in 2011. ^^ McMahon has published numerous articles and essays in publications including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Barron’s, the Public Interest, the New York Post, the New York Daily News, Newsday and the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal. His frequent radio and TV interviews have included appearances on CNBC, Fox News Channel and Bloomberg News, as well as on regional cable and broadcast outlets throughout New York State. ^^ McMahon’s professional background includes nearly 30 years as an Albany-based analyst and close observer of New York State government. As chief fiscal advisor to the Assembly Republican Conference in the early 1990s, he drafted a personal income tax reform plan that would become the basis for historic tax cuts enacted under Governor George E. Pataki. Previously, as research director of the Public Policy Institute, he worked on the Institute’s counter-budget proposals and developed the template for New York’s school report cards. He also served as a deputy commissioner in the state Department of Taxation and Finance and as a vice chancellor of the State University of New York. ^^ McMahon is also an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, which he joined in June 2000. In January 2005, he opened the Institute’s Albany-based Empire Center project, which became an independent nonprofit think tank in 2013. He was the Empire Center’s founding president and became research director in the fall of 2016. ^^ Earlier in his career, he was a staff writer and columnist for the Albany Times Union and The Knickerbocker News. ^^ McMahon is a graduate of Villanova University.Abdullah Ar RafeeData Manager ~ Abdullah Ar Rafee is a Data Manager at the Empire Center where he manages the data and analytics of SeeThroughNY and supports the Center’s research with data analysis and visualizations. ^^ He previously worked as a graduate research fellow at the Maxwell X Lab, Syracuse University. He was the Manager of Programs & Projects at the Institute for Policy, Advocacy, and Governance (IPAG), Bangladesh where he was primarily responsible for policy research and the implementation of donor-funded international projects. He was also the Network Manager in Bangladesh for the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). ^^ Rafee completed his Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Syracuse University, with a concentration on Data Analytics for Public Policy. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, majoring in Finance, from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is a PMP certified Project Manager.James ScimeccaDirector of Communications ~ James Scimecca the Director of Communications at the Empire Center, where he leads communications, marketing and outreach strategy. ^^ In his career, James has led crisis communications and media strategy at the forefront of some of the nation’s most pressing policy debates. He focuses on building coalitions around common-sense ideas, expanding outreach, and crafting compelling messages. Most recently, he served as Press Secretary for the Foundation for Government Accountability. ^^ James holds a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in Political Communications, both from The American University in Washington, D.C. He lives in Hoboken, New Jersey and, when not at work, can usually be found running along the Hudson River, cooking up a new recipe, or searching for the best karaoke spot.Amanda TindallProject ManagerMark WalshDirector of Operations ~ Mark Walsh is the Empire Center’s director of operations, managing all daily activities for the office. ^^ He was previously a development associate for the Center as well as a data analyst for SeeThroughNY. In his position for SeeThroughNY, Mark collected and analyzed the latest payroll, pension and other government data in order to make it accessible to the public. ^^ Mark is a 2013 graduate of Siena College. He joined the Empire Center in February 2016.Empire Center Board of DirectorsPeter C. HeinChairman ~ Peter Hein is currently Of Counsel in the Litigation Department at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Mr. Hein’s practice has included securities, corporate, ERISA, real estate, insurance and other complex commercial litigation, arbitrations, appraisals and mediation. Mr. Hein has argued in the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Seventh and Ninth Circuits, and the New York appellate courts. Mr. Hein is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York (where he has served over the years on the Federal Legislation, Federal Courts, State Legislation, Election Law and Legal History Committees). He is also a member of the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. ^^ Mr. Hein is involved with several other nonprofits including Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, Inc., which owns and operates Fraunces Tavern Museum in downtown Manhattan. Mr. Hein has been a member of the Board of Managers (2015-Present), Treasurer (2016-17), First Vice President (2017-18), and President (2018-Present). He is also a trustee of the Citizens Budget Commission (Trustee for over 20 years) and secretary and a director of the Lower Manhattan Historical Association (2018-Present). ^^ Mr. Hein graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (B.A., summa cum laude, 1972) and Columbia Law School (J.D., 1975). At Columbia, Mr. Hein was a James Kent scholar, Harlan Fisk Stone scholar and served as an editor of the Columbia Law Review (1974-75).Bob ConferDirector ~ Bob Confer is the president of Confer Plastics, a third-generation manufacturer that employs 170 people in facilities in North Tonawanda and Niagara Falls. ^^ Since 2005, Bob has written a weekly opinion column that appears in the Niagara Gazette, Lockport Union-Sun and Journal, and Batavia Daily News. He serves the community as the board president of the Iroquois Trail Council which oversees the Boy Scout program in 5 Western New York counties. The 1996 graduate of SUNY Brockport lives in Gasport with his wife Bernadette and their 4 young children.Debi GhateDirector ~ Debi Ghate is President of Steadfast, Vice President of Partnerships at Gen Justice, and Executive Fellow at the State Policy Network. Ms. Ghate is a trained lawyer, previously practicing civil litigation in Ontario, Canada before moving to California to join the Ayn Rand Institute. At the Institute, she oversaw the education and policy programs before serving on leadership teams at two Foundations, including the Charles Koch Foundation and the Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship. She was previously the Senior Director of Grant Strategy at The Snider Foundation and most recently the Vice President of Strategy and Programs for Philanthropy Roundtable. ^^ Ms. Ghate serves on the boards of Americans for Fair Treatment, Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship, Empire Center for Public Policy, FAMM, and the Government Justice Center. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Biology and French at the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Calgary.Anita MacDougallTreasurer ~ Anita MacDougall is president of AHMAC Associates, a consulting firm focusing on helping clients use technology, such as designing and implementing training strategies and automated management/executive information systems. ^^ Before founding AHMAC Associates, Anita was a vice president at Development Communications Consultants, Inc., where she was responsible for the corporate administrative and financial activities, as well as consulting and training services to address client needs. Anita also served as assistant vice president at Chemical Bank (now JPMorgan Chase Bank). ^^ Anita is involved in several community efforts in her hometown of Oyster Bay and on Long Island including: LI Tax Reform and MedShare. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and an MBA from New York University.Luke JacobsDirector ~ Luke is the CEO of Barrantys LLC, a multi-family office located in Buffalo, NY. Barrantys provides long-term planning objectives and implementation strategies for high net-worth individuals and their families. Prior to joining Barrantys LLC in 2001, Luke worked as an Erie County Assistant District Attorney based in Buffalo, NY where he successfully prosecuted jury and non-jury trials ranging from assault to homicide. ^^ Luke offers client families extensive investment experience and is also active on several community related investment committees. Luke serves on the Investment Committee for the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo and chaired the committee for seven years (2008-2014). He is a Board member of The John R. Oishei Foundation and Chair of the Foundation’s Investment Committee. He also serves on the Investment Committee for The Cullen Foundation and Nardin Academy. Luke is a founding member of the Western New York Impact Fund and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the fund. ^^ Luke graduated with a B.A. from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. and a J.D. from University of Notre Dame Law School. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and holds the Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) designation from the Institute of Certified Bankers.Frank H. Suits, Jr.Director ~ Frank H. Suits, Jr. is a life-long resident of the Cortland area. He currently resides in Cortland, New York with his wife, Theresa. They have three children; Frank III, Peter and Emily. ^^ In 1982, Mr. Suits earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Management from Purdue University. After graduation he returned home to join the family business. After serving in various capacities, he was elevated to the position of President and CEO of Suit-Kote Corporation in 1993. Suit-Kote has 23 locations encompassing most of New York and parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia and currently maintains a work force of more than 750 dedicated men and women. ^^ Frank is also vital to the transportation industry due to his tireless efforts to promote and advance a pro-transportation agenda to all levels of government. He is the former Chairman of the New York Materials Association, past President of the Liquid Asphalt Distributors Association, former Member of the Board of Directors of the Association of General Contractors, New York Chapter and continues to serve on various industry advisory committees. ^^ In addition to his role at Suit-Kote, Mr. Suits is very involved in the community. His philanthropic efforts have benefited many local charities and causes that have a direct impact on the community.Sheridan (Sherry) C. BiggsIn Memoriam ~ Sheridan Biggs is a former partner of Price Waterhouse, the accounting and consulting firm, where he served as Vice Chairman and a member of the Management Committee. He retired from Price Waterhouse in 1994. Sherry was also the Executive-in-Residence at the Graduate Management Institute of Union College. ^^ His career, which spanned over 31 years, encompassed a wide range of experience. As an audit partner he served large multinational and domestic companies. He also held the top positions in Price Waterhouse for specialized industries, marketing, human resources and audit technology. In addition, he traveled extensively including numerous visits to Japan, where he had overall responsibility for Price Waterhouse’s Japanese business services worldwide. His experience included both technical accounting and auditing issues and a broad range of general business matters. ^^ Sherry Biggs is a native of Schenectady, New York. He graduated with honors from Lehigh University, where he was elected to Beta Gamma Sigma. He attended the Executive Programs at the Tuck School (Dartmouth) and Fuqua School (Duke). He served as an officer in the US Navy until 1963 when he joined Price Waterhouse. He was a New York CPA. ^^ He was a director Beech Tree Labs, Inc. and a director of USS Slater. He was also a director of DonnKenney, Inc., a trustee of the Church Pension Corporation and a founding member of New Yorkers for Growth.Empire Center Student FellowsThe Empire Center is looking for talented undergraduate and graduate students for our Student Fellow Program in Albany, NY. A student fellowship at the Empire Center provides a unique work experience at a leading state-based think tank. ^^ The Empire Center is dedicated to making New York a better place to live and work by promoting public policy reforms grounded in free-market principles, personal responsibility, and the ideals of effective and accountable government. Through research papers, policy briefings, commentaries and conferences, the think tank seeks to educate and inform New York State policymakers, news media and the general public. ^^ Student fellows are part of the team and work closely with full-time staff. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to research, data analysis and original writing. Fellows are matched according to Empire Center needs, the applicant’s past experience and their interests.A growing economy and a vibrant private sector throughout the Empire State, creating new opportunities for an informed and engaged citizenry grounded in strong local communities and civic institutions._2505bcb0-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea00To make New York a better place to live and work by promoting public policy reforms grounded in free-market principles, personal responsibility, and the ideals of effective and accountable government._2505bde6-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea00Free MarketsPersonal ResponsibilityEffectivenessAccountabilityResearchConduct research_2505bf58-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea001https://www.empirecenter.org/research/_2505c08e-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea00Press ReleasesIssue press releases_2505c1a6-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea002https://www.empirecenter.org/press-room/_2505c2d2-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea00EventsHost events_2505c3ea-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea003https://www.empirecenter.org/events/_2505c502-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea00PodcastsIntroduce the people working to make the Empire State a better place to live, work and raise a family._2505c62e-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea004New Yorkers"Is there a Message of Necessity at the desk?" Messages of Necessity, the Empire Center's biweekly podcast, introduces New Yorkers—and the wider listening audience—to the people working to make the Empire State a better place to live, work and raise a family. (Think the title of our podcast is weird? Here's a brief explanation from our first episode.) Our goals? To help you be better informed about what's happening in New York; to make complicated issues easier to understand; and to bring you closer to the government and players working in and around our government. | https://www.empirecenter.org/messages-of-necessity/InformationProvide information about what's happening in New York._2505c750-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea004.1IssuesMake complicated issues easier to understand._2505c868-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea004.2GovernmentBring New Yorkers closer to the government and players working in and around our government._2505c99e-aa33-11ed-8c37-47c30b83ea004.32023-02-11https://www.empirecenter.org/who-we-are/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net