Each year, the American Association for Budget and Program Analysis (AABPA) presents the James L. Blum Award to people who have distinguished records of accomplishment in public budgeting, are respected leaders in the budgetary community, have significantly advanced the state of knowledge in the field, and have set exceptionally high standards of achievement, professionalism, and ethics for all public servants. We are delighted that one of the recipients this year was Theresa Gullo, CBO’s Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. (The other recipient was Philip Joyce, a professor of public policy at the University of Maryland and formerly a member of CBO’s staff.)
Through her vision, hard work, leadership, communication skills, and analytical ability, Teri has made enormous contributions to CBO’s work for the Congress over more than three decades. After serving as an analyst at CBO, she became the first chief of our State and Local Government Cost Estimates Unit and then Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. For the past four years, she has headed CBO’s Budget Analysis Division and has been responsible for overseeing the work of one-third of CBO’s staff.
In that capacity, Teri has overseen the careful preparation of hundreds of formal cost estimates for legislation being considered by the Congress each year, as well as the fulfillment of several thousand requests for background and technical information to help committees craft legislation. She has led CBO’s development of annual budget projections and has coordinated CBO’s scorekeeping activities for legislation considered by the appropriations and authorizing committees. Teri has also played an important role in enhancing Congressional understanding of CBO and its estimating processes. And she has worked hard to identify the most effective ways for the agency to provide timely analysis to the Congress as legislation is being developed.
This recognition by the AABPA comes after Teri was honored last summer as a finalist for the Congressional Management Foundation’s lifetime achievement award.
We at CBO appreciate Teri’s extraordinary work, and we are proud and grateful that the broader budget community does as well.
Keith Hall is CBO’s Director.