Staff

Ed Lazere
Lazere has led the work of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute since it was established in 2001.  Prior to that, he was a policy analyst for 12 years at DCFPI’s parent organization, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.  At CBPP, he worked on numerous issues at both the state and federal level, including state spending choices under the TANF block grant and other issues related to welfare reform implementation; state-level tax policy, particularly State Earned Income Tax Credits; and affordable housing.  Lazere holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Maryland.

Soumya Bhat
Bhat is an Education Finance and Policy Analyst at DCFPI, where her work focuses on improving the fiscal transparency and equity of public education in the District. In this role, Bhat conducts research and analysis to help DC residents better understand school finance and the effects of education policies on the city’s low- and moderate-income students.  Formerly, she worked at The Finance Project where she conducted state fiscal mapping studies and provided research and technical assistance to state leaders on how to sustain early childhood and out-of-school time programs.  She also conducted policy research for the New America Foundation’s education program. She holds a Master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and a BS in Psychology from Birmingham-Southern College.

Kate Coventry
Coventry is a Policy Analyst at DCFPI, focusing on a range of issues affecting low-income residents of DC, particularly TANF, Interim Disability Assistance (IDA), and homelessness.  Her professional background is rooted in working with community-based organizations in the Washington area.  She is an avid knitter in her spare time.  She received a BA in sociology from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and a Master of Public Policy degree from George Washington University. 

Jessica Fulton
Jessica Fulton joined DCFPI as  an Outreach Director in December 2011. Her work focuses on maintaining and building connections with the community and gaining support for policy campaigns.  Jessica joined DCFPI following internship with the Office of Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH). Prior to moving to DC to pursue her internship, she worked as a Policy and Research Associate with the Chicago Urban League, focusing on issues of inequality in education, income, and juvenile justice. She holds a Bachelors degree in economics from the University of Chicago and an M.S. in Economic Policy Analysis from Depaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.

Jenny Reed
Jenny Reed is Policy Director at DCFPI where she focuses on income and poverty trends, affordable housing, and budget transparency.  Reed joined DCFPI after completing her Master’s in Public Policy at George Washington University.  While in school she worked as an Instructional Assistant at GWU and completed a summer internship at the Congressional Research Service, working in the Children and Families section.  Before graduate school she spent several years working for organizations that provided direct service work to children and adults with severe mental illnesses. Ms. Reed also holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Rhode Island.

Wes Rivers
Wes Rivers is a Policy Analyst at DCFPI and a SFAI State Policy Fellow. His work focuses on a range of issues, including health care policy, taxation, and TANF.   Wes joined DCFPI after completing his Master’s degree at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.  While in school, he worked for a state affordable housing advocate, and he completed a summer internship at the Urban Institute, researching changes to state TANF programs.  Wes also holds a Bachelors degree in economics from Southwestern University. 

Elissa Silverman
Silverman joined DCFPI in April 2009. Previously she worked as a Metro reporter for the Washington Post, where she covered regional crime, District politics, and local business. From 2002 to 2004, Silverman wrote the popular “Loose Lips” column on local politics and government for the Washington City Paper. Earlier in her career, she worked as a researcher with the Center for Responsive Politics. She lives on Capitol Hill and is an enthusiastic cyclist, tennis player, and cook. Silverman was awarded a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She is currently enrolled in the urban planning master’s program at the University of Maryland, College Park.

To e-mail a member of our staff directly, use the format of lastname@dcfpi.org, using no spaces or punctuation in the last name.