Eric has been President of the Citizens Research Council since September of 2014. He has been with the Citizens Research Council since 1987, the first two years as a Lent Upson-Loren Miller Fellow, and since then as a Research Associate and, later, as Director of Local Affairs. Eric has researched such issues as property taxes, city charters, government consolidation, state revenue sharing, highway funding, economic development incentives, and many more. Eric is a past president of the Governmental Research Association and also served as vice-chairman of the Governmental Accounting Standards Advisory Council (GASAC), an advisory body for the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), representing the user community on behalf of the Governmental Research Association.

Eric holds a B.A. in International Relations from James Madison College at Michigan State University and a Masters in Public Administration from Wayne State University.

Craig is the Research Council’s Research Director and primary researcher of education and school finance issues. Prior to becoming Research Director, Craig served as the Director of State Affairs and as a Senior Research Associate. During his graduate school studies, he worked for the Council as a Lent Upson-Loren Miller Fellow from 1993 to 1995. Before joining the Council in 2006, Craig worked for ten years as a fiscal analyst at both the Senate Fiscal Agency and the House Fiscal Agency. He previously worked for the Michigan Department of State, Office of Policy and Planning and the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago.

Craig holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Kalamazoo College and a Masters in Public Administration from Wayne State University. He holds positions on various professional, nonprofit, and local government boards/associations.

Bob is in his second stint with the Citizens Research Council, having worked for the organization from 2013 to 2015. He has spent most of his time in state government, having worked in the Office of Health and Human Services – State Budget Office and as Associate Director for the non-partisan Michigan House Fiscal Agency (HFA). He has extensive expertise and has provided non-partisan advice and analysis on state policy and budget matters in areas including corrections, human services, and transportation. Prior to joining HFA, he was a research assistant and project manager from 1994 to 1996 for Public Policy Associates, a Lansing-based policy research and consulting firm. He also served for two years within the Michigan Department of State working on department budget and financial issues.

Bob received his B.S. in Economics from Central Michigan University and his M.A. in Economics from Michigan State University.

Madhu held several leadership positions in state government and the non-profit sector prior to joining the Citizens Research Council in 2024.  Her expertise is in local and state taxation, government finance, and regulatory policy.  In addition to working on landmark tax, school finance, and pension reforms, she helped Michigan earn a AAA bond rating as Chief Deputy State Treasurer.  Under her directorship of CEPI, Michigan became one of the first states to offer web-based performance metrics for school districts.  Madhu also served as a Deputy Director at the Department of Environmental Quality and at the Michigan Agency for Energy.  Her non-profit experience includes Director of Government Relations for the Michigan chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and Treasurer for a local ceramics cooperative.

After receiving an A.B., in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, Madhu earned an M.P.P from The Ford School at the University of Michigan.

Eric joined the Citizens Research Council in 2022 as an expert in civil infrastructure policy. Previous to his position with the Research Council, Eric spent nearly ten years as a transportation systems analyst, focusing on the policy implications of emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles, connected vehicles, and intelligent transportation systems. Eric has been a Michigan-licensed professional engineer (PE) since 2012. As a practicing engineer, Eric has design and project experience across multiple domains, including highways, airfields, telecommunications, and watershed management. Eric received his Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Michigan State University in 2006. Eric also holds Masters degrees in environmental engineering and urban/regional planning, both from the University of Michigan. 

Karley Abramson joined the Research Council in 2022 as a Research Associate focusing on health policy. Previously, Karley was a nonpartisan Research Analyst at the Michigan Legislative Service Bureau where she specialized in the policy areas of public health, human services, education, civil rights, and family law.   Karley has worked as a research fellow for various state and national organizations, including the National Institutes of Health and the ACLU of Michigan.  She is a three-time Wolverine with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a master’s of public health, and a juris doctor from the University of Michigan. 

Doug Ortiz has over five years of experience working in public sector finance, research, and data collection. He has managed budget development for the City of Detroit Department of Transportation for over three years, as well as external city agencies including the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, the Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation, and the Detroit Public Library. He is committed to evidence-based research, continuous improvement practices, and community engagement.

Rhonda Blakesleay Parker joined the Citizens Research Council of Michigan in 2025 as Vice President of Development. She brings more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising and development, with expertise spanning individual giving, major donor strategy, corporate and foundation partnerships, and institutional grants. Her career has focused on building sustainable fundraising programs, strengthening donor engagement, and aligning philanthropic strategies with mission impact.

Prior to joining the Research Council, Ms. Parker served in senior development roles with NephCure, SafeHouse Center, Orchards Children’s Services, and the Detroit Area Agency on Aging. In these roles, she led strategic fundraising initiatives across regional and statewide footprints, developed donor stewardship systems, and secured diverse revenue streams to support programmatic growth.

Rhonda holds a Master of Science in Administration with a concentration in Health Services Administration from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baker College. She has earned a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and is currently pursuing her CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) credential.

Maureen is a leading public relations and communications professional with decades of experience in both the public and private sectors. She joined the Research Council as Communications Director in 2023. Before that, Maureen led strategic public relations for statewide clients on behalf of a Detroit-based PR firm. She also founded and directed PR Edge, a Lansing-based public relations firm. Maureen also served in several roles in state government, including heading the press and communications offices for the state departments of Treasury, Management and Budget, and History, Arts & Libraries. She also served as a gubernatorial campaign’s deputy campaign manager and spokeswoman. She earned her B.A. in International Relations from the University of Michigan and serves on the Board of Commissioners of LEPFA as vice chair and the Michigan Nature Association Board of Trustees. 

Anne Wardle joined the Research Council as an Administrative Assistant in 2024. Anne has held previous roles in Administration and Program Management with the City of Farmington Hills and the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit. Anne earned a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources, Recreation and Commercial Tourism from Michigan State University.