Mary Katherine is a Senior Fellow at the Cicero Institute. She has more than 20 years of experience working in and around state government, including work for state agencies, legislative caucuses, think tanks, and elected officials. In 2008, Mary Katherine joined then-Governor Rick Perry’s senior staff as director of budget and policy where she oversaw the Governor’s policy initiatives and budget priorities throughout state government. In 2012, Mary Katherine became senior adviser to the Executive Commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the umbrella agency overseeing all health and human services programs in the state. From 2016 to 2019, Mary Katherine worked for the Foundation for Government Accountability focused on outreach to governors and executive branch agencies across the country. Mary Katherine is delighted to be a part of the Cicero Institute team focused on public policy in her home state. Mary Katherine is a native Texan and graduate of Texas A&M University. She lives in Austin with her husband and three children.