Staff and Board

Alan Essig, Executive Director

As Georgia Budget and Policy Institute’s first executive director, Alan brings a wealth of experience and understanding of state government to his role in carrying out GBPI’s mission. In addition to leading a dedicated and talented staff and board, he analyzes overall state budget proposals and revenue policy issues. Alan frequently presents economic analyses of budget and tax proposals to the Georgia State Legislature and testifies before its committees. He also regularly addresses state-wide civic groups where he presents tax reform solutions and policies, and serves on national steering committees.

Alan’s recent professional experience includes serving as a senior research associate with the Fiscal Research Center of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University, as well as deputy policy director for the Georgia Governor’s Office. Alan’s experience also includes serving as a committee aide for the Georgia State Senate and Georgia House of Representatives Appropriations Committees, assistant commissioner for the Georgia Department of Human Resources, director of the Georgia State Senate Research Office, deputy director of the Budgetary Responsibility Oversight Committee, and as a legislative budget analyst for the New York State Senate Finance Committee.

Alan holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a master’s degree in public administration from the State University of New York at Albany. Georgia Trend magazine named Alan one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians in 2010. He has been quoted in both state and national publications such as NPR Weekend Edition, New York Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Savannah Morning News and Albany Herald, to name a few.

Taifa Smith Butler, Deputy Director

Taifa Smith Butler joined GBPI in 2011 as the organization’s deputy director. She provides strategic direction on public policy research and data analysis. As deputy director, Taifa leads a team of four analysts covering a wide range of policy areas including tax and economic development, health care, education and poverty.

Taifa brings more than 15 years of experience in strategic communications, public policy research and data analysis in the public, nonprofit and private sectors. Prior to joining the GBPI team, she served as the policy and communications director for Georgia Family Connection Partnership where she co-managed the Georgia KIDS COUNT project and monitored public policy and its impact on children, families and communities. Additionally, Taifa has held various positions with the Georgia Academy for Children and Youth Professionals and MBIA Muni Services/Municipal Tax Bureau Company in Philadelphia.

Taifa was an education policy fellow with the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education’s Class of 2009 Education Policy Fellowship Program, and is a graduate of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development. Taifa holds a bachelor’s in politics and economics from Mount Holyoke College and a master’s in public management and policy from the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University, with a concentration in economic development and financial management.

Utoia Wooten, Director of Communications

Utoia Wooten joined GBPI in 2011 as the organization’s director of communications. Utoia is responsible for developing integrated communication strategies that advance the organization’s goal of increasing public understanding and awareness of budget and public policy issues that affect Georgians.

Prior to joining GBPI, Utoia was an independent communications consultant. She created and implemented strategic communication plans and social media/online marketing strategies for both public sector and nonprofit organizations. Her past clients include Boehringer Ingelheim and Georgia Family Connection Partnership.

Utoia is pursing a master’s degree in information design and communications at Southern Polytechnic State University. She graduated from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University with a bachelor’s of science degree in public management and human resources.

Jessica Hood, Special Projects Coordinator

Jessica joined GBPI in 2009. She currently serves as the organization’s special projects coordinator, where she manages an array of program and administrative work. Prior to joining the GBPI team, Jessica served as an aid for Georgia Senator Gail Buckner and worked for the National Women’s Business Council in Washington, D.C. She holds a bachelor’s in political science from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn. Jessica is originally from Alpharetta.

Cedric Johnson, Policy Analyst

Cedric joined GBPI in 2010. Cedric is part of the inaugural class of State Policy Fellowship Program sponsored by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Cedric’s research focuses on education finance issues related to early childhood education, K-12 education, and higher education in Georgia and examines the impact of education on economic growth throughout the state. Cedric earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, a master’s in Public Policy from The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a bachelor’s in economics from Clemson University.

 
Clare S. Richie, Senior Policy Analyst

Clare joined GBPI in 2004. As senior policy analyst, she is responsible for analyzing budget and policy decisions related to poverty-reduction and social services. During her tenure at GBPI, Clare has authored various reports including “Strategies Georgia Can Use to Reduce Rising Poverty,” a groundbreaking review of successful TANF-funded state initiatives that increase families’ self-sufficiency, including recommendations that Georgia policymakers and lawmakers can implement to reduce Georgia’s rising poverty levels.  As a trusted media source, Clare has authored and quoted in several statewide publications including The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Rome News Tribune, and Macon Telegraph.

Prior to joining GBPI, Clare served as the regional director of the International Rescue committee Atlanta where she managed a staff of 50 employees, helping more than 1,500 refugees annually to rebuild their lives in Atlanta.

She holds a master’s in public administration from Georgia State University and was awarded the Public Administration Academic Achievement Award. Clare graduated magna cum laude from Brown University with a bachelor’s in mathematical economics.

Timothy Sweeney, Director of Health Policy

Tim has served as GBPI’s health care policy analyst since 2005. He follows Medicaid and other health policy developments in Georgia closely, documenting the affects various budget and policy proposals have on state health care programs. Tim’s research focuses on a wide variety of Georgia’s healthcare issues affecting Medicaid and PeachCare, as well as health insurance-related tax policy issues.

Prior to joining GBPI, Tim served as a senior fiscal analyst for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in Arizona where he was responsible for developing enrollment and expenditure forecasts for the state’s Medicaid program, analyzing policy proposals, assessing the fiscal impact of legislation affecting state health care programs, and drafting legislative language. Tim authored “Using a Medicaid Expansion to Target Georgia’s Uninsured Adults in Poverty” and co-authored “Georgia’s Medicaid Program: A Briefing for Community Leaders”. In 2008, Tim served on the Healthcare Georgia Foundation’s selection committee for the Joseph E Greene Community Service Award.

Tim holds a master’s in public affairs from the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and a bachelor’s in mathematics and political science from the University of Oregon. Tim has been quoted in several statewide publications including the Atlanta Business Chronicle, NPR Atlanta, Athens Banner-Herald and Georgia Health News, to name a few.

 Wesley Tharpe, Policy Analyst

Wesley Tharpe joined GBPI in 2011 as the tax and economic policy analyst. His primary areas of focus include state taxation and economic development policy, with emphasis on analyzing strategies for building a more prosperous, equitable Georgia. Beyond promoting sensible state tax reform, Wesley’s priorities include analyses of state policies for job creation and broad-based growth and the annual State of Working Georgia report, which outlines how everyday Georgians are faring across various economic measures.

Prior to joining GBPI, Wesley served as a programs and communications manager at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, where he spearheaded tasks ranging from issue research to project management. Previous work experience includes work on poverty alleviation, economic development, community building and affordable housing policy.

A native of Fayetteville, Ga., Wesley holds a master’s in public policy from the Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s in political science and international affairs from the University of Georgia.

GBPI Board of Directors

Cheryl Cooper, Board Chair
Manager, Systems and Asset Tracking
Coca-Cola Refreshments

Eliot Robinson, Vice Chair
Attorney
Bryan Cave LLP

J. Wendell Sealey, Board Treasurer
Partner
KPMG LLP

Dr. Brenda Hodges-Tiller, Board Secretary
President
HT Consulting Associates

Dave Blanchard
Executive Director
All About Developmental Disabilities

Jeffrey Brown
President
Comprehensive Search

Heidi Davison
Former Mayor
City of Athens

Dan Ebersole
Retired
Georgia State Treasurer, Office of the Treasurer

Patricia Harris
CEO
The Edge Connection

J. Mac Holladay
CEO
Market Street

Virgilio Perez Pascoe
Consultant

Russell A. Rogers
CEO
Entrepreneur’s Virtue, LLC.

Ann Rosewater
Consultant

Jana Leigh Thomas
Vice President and Deputy Director, Health and Social Marketing
Peter Novelli

Michael Vollmer
City Manager
Tifton