Heading into its second year, the National League of Cities (NLC) Research Advisory Committee has helped to forge collaborative partnerships and offered strategic guidance for NLC’s research and data initiatives. The Research Advisory Committee has focused on ensuring NLC’s research and data agenda is relevant, informative and actionable to the NLC membership and other key local government stakeholders. It is comprised of 19 local government experts with varied perspectives.
In the last two years, the committee’s discussions have touched on research opportunities on housing and public safety, highlighting the need for NLC to focus on effective city solutions. Input from committee members have informed key NLC research products around data literacy, local government public finance trends and making federal data accessible for local audiences.
Key partnerships formed through the committee include work with state municipal leagues, think tanks, universities and more. Building on NLC’s long history of strengthening local leadership and driving innovative solutions, the Research Advisory Committee is ensuring that NLC is a thought leader in local government research.
The following individuals were appointed to the Research Advisory Committee in 2025:
- Maia Berlow: Senior State and Local Government Affairs Advisor, Urban Institute
- Adam Brown: City Manager, Keizer, OR
- Aditi Bussells: Public Health Strategist | City Councilwoman At-Large, Columbia, SC
- Claire Chan: Manager, Research and Federal Relations, Georgia Municipal Association
- Karson Eilers: Policy Director, Utah League of Cities and Towns
- Malik Evans: Mayor, Rochester, NY
- Tracy Gordon: Vice President of Tax Policy, Urban Institute | Co-Director and Acting Robert C. Pozen Director, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
- René Guillen: Deputy Director, League of Arizona Cities and Towns
- Bradley Hardy: Distinguished Professor, McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University | Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
- Bill Jorch: Director of Public Policy and Research, Maryland Municipal League
- Craig Maher: Distinguished Professor and Director of the Nebraska State and Local Finance Lab, School of Public Administration at University of Nebraska Omaha
- Justin Marlowe: Research Professor and Director of the Center for Municipal Finance, University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy
- Katie Martin: Project Director, Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative, The Pew Charitable Trusts
- Erin Mullenix: Research Scientist and Evaluation Specialist, Community and Economic Development, Iowa State University Extension | Outreach and League Research Consultant, Iowa League of Cities
- Kim Norton: Mayor, Rochester, MN
- Andre Perry: Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro | Director, Center for Community Uplift, The Brookings Institution
- Stephanie Piko: Mayor, Centennial, CO
- Peter Pirnejad: City Manager, Los Altos Hills, CA
- David Sander: Council Member, Rancho Cordova, CA | Immediate Past NLC President
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