Georgia State University’s Center for State & Local Finance is Named ABFM Secretariat

ATLANTA—Georgia State’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (AYSPS) has been named the new Secretariat for the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM), the nation’s top association for public finance professionals.

The Center for State and Local Finance (CSLF), a unit of the Andrew Young School’s Public Finance Research Cluster, will manage the ABFM Secretariat for a three-year period beginning in June. Economist Robert Buschman, CSLF senior research associate and associate director of the cluster’s Fiscal Research Center (FRC), will serve as secretary.

The ABFM promotes the professional development of budgeting and financial management in the public and nonprofit sectors. Its annual conference brings together the nation’s largest gatherings of public finance practitioners and academics, promoting open discussion of public policy issues and presenting a diverse range of new research. Its quarterly journal, Public Budgeting & Finance, is regarded among the top in the industry.

“In the worlds of public finance and public administration, this is a big deal,” said Dean Sally Wallace. “The Andrew Young School will be a central hub for program, degree and outreach planning in the universe of public budgeting, finance and administration among universities, nonprofits and governments. We’ll be at the table at a new level.”

The school was selected ABFM Secretariat upon the strength of a proposal presented by the CLSF and FRC. “The strength of public finance in the AYSPS comes from our strong research centers, CSLF and FRC, as well as our academic departments working together. It is a unique strength of the AYSPS,” she said.

"ABFM is excited to partner with the Center for State and Local Finance at Georgia State University,” said ABFM chair-elect Thad Calabrese, who will facilitate the Secretariat’s transition to Georgia State. “The Center brings a world-renowned reputation for applied research, and this engagement will help ABFM deliver more services to members.” He also recognized and thanked Old Dominion University, the former Secretariat, for its generous support of ABFM and help during the transition.

The Andrew Young School has a longstanding relationship with the ABFM. Through its history, three Department of Public Management and Policy faculty served as ABFM chairs: W. Bartley Hildreth (1994-95), Katherine Willoughby (2009) and Carolyn Bourdeaux (2016). During last year’s ABFM annual conference, the Andrew Young School was represented on 12 panels, supporting the papers and presentations of AYSPS graduate students, faculty and research staff.

“Our school and the Center for State and Local Finance look forward to continuing our rewarding relationship with ABFM in this new capacity,” said Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, director of the Public Finance Research Cluster.