Speakers Bureau Profile Page

Ed Brigham - AABPA Speakers Bureau Coordinator

Edward Brigham served for 34 years in the Federal Government, all in budget-related work.  He served at the Office of Management and Budget, on the professional staff of the House Budget Committee, and at the Department of Transportation.  The last 13 years were in career senior executive positions.  Mr. Brigham is prepared to discuss the history of the Federal budget process, Congressional budgeting, development and implementation of Executive Branch budgets, the skills and training required for budget and policy analysis, and integration of budgets with strategic planning and performance management.  An experienced public speaker, Mr. Brigham is comfortable making formal presentations, appearing on panels, and participating in seminars and similar discussions.  Mr. Brigham earned an MPA from Princeton University (1974) and a BA magna cum laude from Baylor University (1970).

Melissa Neuman - AABPA President

Melissa Neuman is a policy analyst in the Budget Analysis Branch of the Office of Management and Budget.  Her work focuses primarily on tax policy, with some Federal investment, economic modeling, and Statutory PAYGO thrown in for good measure.  Her favorite volume of the Budget is Analytical Perspectives.

Melissa has served on AABPA's Board of Directors since 2010.  She received her master’s in Public Finance from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, and holds a BA in Economics from Kansas State University.  When not at the office, she can be found immersed in a book or perfecting a cookie recipe.

 Jon Stehle - AABPA Board Member

Jon Stehle is currently a board member with AABPA and a senior analyst with the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO www.gao.gov). Prior to joining GAO, he was a Budget and Program Analyst at the Corporation for National and Community Service. Jon has a BA in History from Washington & Jefferson College and a MPIA from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. He lives in Fairfax, VA with his wife Stephanie, a high-school physics teacher, and their daughter Zoe and son Cooper.

Dr. Karen Kunz is an assistant professor in the Division of Public Administration at West Virginia University, she specializes in public financial management. Her research interests include Congressional spending; earmarks and contracts, and state fiscal management. At University of Illinois – Springfield Dr. Kunz earned a doctorate of public administration and a master’s degree in political studies. She is a past recipient of the Marykathryn Kubat Award for student research.

Dr. Kunz’s prior experience with non-profit organizations includes a micro-enterprise committee that provided entrepreneurial opportunities and training to residents within identified low-income, highrisk tracts. Dr. Kunz also was a board member for the SARA Center, an aids education and hospice facility. She is currently Treasurer for the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, and AABPA’s Membership Director.

 Malena Brookshire, MPA, CGFM, PMP-- Deputy Performance Improvement Officer and Branch Chief, Securities and Exchange Commission

Malena is the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) first appointed Deputy Performance Improvement Officer, and manages the agency’s Planning, Performance, and Budget Formulation.  She leads a highly professional and diverse team that has met the challenge of improving program reporting and performance with innovative solutions and determination.  Malena is a certified Project Management Professional and Government Financial Manager, responsible for monitoring the agency’s strategic plan, program performance measurement and evaluation, and overseeing all aspects of formulating budget requests to OMB and Congress. Prior to joining the SEC, Malena was detailed to the U.S. Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget to provide strategic and technical support to OMB staff.  Malena also has served on the Arlington County (VA) Fiscal Affairs Commission to provide advice to the elected County Board, and worked as a policy analyst for the State of Wisconsin.

Malena is featured on the Performance Improvement Council Career Close-up website, discussing the impact of effective program performance management in the federal government, and is a frequent public speaker. Her most recent notable engagements include the Excellence in Government Conference, the Open Government Innovations Conference, the Performance Institute’s Insights and Ideas to Transform the Federal Workforce, the Virginia Society of Public Accountants Federal Conference, and the George Washington University School of Business, the Partnership for Public Service, and Federal News Radio. Malena earned her Master of Public Administration from The George Washington University Trachtenberg School of Public Administration and Public Policy, and a B.S. in Economics and Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin.