About Us

Jason Bailey is founder and Executive Director of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. Jason appears frequently in the media and is a regular speaker to civic organizations on the critical economic and fiscal issues facing the commonwealth. His public service includes appointments to the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Tax Reform and the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System Funding Work Group. He has a master’s in public administration with a specialization in public finance from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from Carson-Newman College.

Natalie Cunningham joined the KyPolicy team in 2019 in the role of Outreach Director. She started her career as an Americorps VISTA at the Lexington Rescue Mission, first as the Volunteer Coordinator and later PR and Events Coordinator. She continued her career in public service through communications, public relations, outreach, and strategy building. She gained her experience working with the Kentucky Small Business Development Center, the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, The Morris Book Shop, and Local First Lexington. Cunningham received her bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Murray State University.

Jessica Klein joined the staff in September 2019 and focuses on policy issues related to health, food and nutrition. Jessica previously worked on policy and innovation initiatives related to food systems and built environment for the Center for Health Equity in the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. She has a Master’s in Public Health from New York University and a BA in Psychology and Art from Bellarmine University. In her free time, Jessica enjoys biking around her neighborhood and visiting art galleries.

Dustin Pugel is Policy Director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, where he focuses on economic security, health policy and safety net programs while providing strategic support for all of the organization’s policy campaigns. He joined the staff in 2015. Dustin previously worked for BUILD in Lexington, Kentucky where he trained congregations to identify, research and advocate for policy solutions on a local level. He also spent two years providing policy research assistance for the Commonwealth Council on Developmental Disabilities. He has a BA in History from Asbury University and a master’s in public administration from the University of Kentucky.

Adam K. Raymond is the Communications Director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. He joined the staff in the summer of 2022. Adam previously worked as a reporter in Louisville, covering government, labor movements, and racial and economic justice. He’s also written for New York Magazine, Esquire, and Gizmodo as a freelancer. Adam studied journalism and political science at New York University.

Ashley Spalding is Research Director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. She joined the staff in October 2011. Ashley has conducted research on social and economic policies affecting low-income families for over 15 years. Her doctoral and postdoctoral research projects at the University of South Florida focused on low-income housing and education, respectively. Ashley holds a PhD in Applied Anthropology from the University of South Florida, an MA in Anthropology from the University of South Carolina and a BA in English from Samford University. She was named one of the 2019 Notable Women in Kentucky Politics and Government by The Kentucky Gazette. Ashley is a Kentucky native.

Pam Thomas is Senior Fellow at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. She joined the staff in January 2017 after a long career in state government. Prior to joining KyPolicy, Pam was the Committee Staff Administrator for the Appropriations and Revenue Committee of the Kentucky General Assembly. Pam has extensive experience in the areas of tax policy, budgeting, education finance and workforce policy. Pam also spent some time with the state Justice Cabinet, with a focus on juvenile justice, policy development, budgeting and strategic planning. Pam has a law degree from the University of Kentucky, and a BS in business from St. Bonaventure University in New York. Pam lives in Midway with her husband and enjoys spending time with family, traveling and riding bicycles.

Patience Martin is KyPolicy’s State Budget and Tax Policy Fellow. Patience is an East Tennessee native and received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Berea College. Her undergraduate research focused on the efficacy of Berea College students’ participation in federally funded college preparation programs. Following graduation, she served as a grant funding administrator for her alma mater’s Office of Career Development through the BereaCorps program. During her BereaCorps term, she participated in KyPolicy’s Summer Policy Institute, which sparked her interest in public policy research.

Rose Adotei became part of the KyPolicy team in Fall 2024 as the Development Coordinator. She started her career as a grants writer and advanced to Grants Manager at WomenfulVoice. Rose then worked as a Community Engagement Coordinator for New American Communities in Ohio with the Ohio History Connection. Additionally, she is a board member of the Kentucky African Women Association helping connect immigrants to resources within the state. Rose holds a master’s degree in International Development Studies from Ohio University.