Annie has felt a sense of duty and purpose in delineating and explaining the millions, billions, and trillions of dollars within the federal budget ever since an editor placed an appropriations bill on her desk early in her career.

As Senior Fellow for Third Way’s Economic Program, specializing in fiscal policy, Annie aims to promote sustainability and certainty in the federal budget and explain its relationship to the broader economy. Her work communicates the risk of irresponsible fiscal policy, but also helps advance economic policies that foster fairness and that prepare America for future challenges.

Annie earned her B.A. in Economics and Journalism from the University of Iowa and her Master’s in Behavioral and Decision Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania. Before joining Third Way, Annie spent six years at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, where she researched and wrote about federal debt, appropriations, the budget process, taxes, social safety net programs, and macroeconomics. One major focus during her tenure there was intergenerational budgeting and how federal resources are distributed among children, seniors, and other policy priorities. Before joining CRFB, she spent more than nine years at CQ-Roll Call as a legislative analyst and staff writer—mostly on the House Action Reports team known for its all-nighters following late-breaking bill releases—and worked briefly at a financial news startup.

Originally from an eastern Iowa steel mill town, Annie now lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two daughters. When not working on fiscal policy or tending to her children, Annie follows James Beard award-winning chefs the way some people follow their favorite bands, racks up rides at SoulCycle, and cheers on her fellow Hawkeyes whether they’re wearing a uniform or winning literary awards. Depending on the season, she probably has something to say about the Eagles, the Vikings, Chelsea, the Phillies, or the latest Jeopardy champion.