Skip to main content

Celebrating Karen McLaughlin's Dedication to Arizona's Well-being!

We are grateful to Karen McLaughlin as she retires after dedicating her career to public service and the well-being of Arizonans. Karen began her career at Children’s Action Alliance (CAA) working on state budget and fiscal issues in July 2005 after having worked for the state of Arizona for 31 years. She worked for several state agencies including the Governor’s Office for Strategic Planning and Budgeting, Department of Health Services, Department of Revenue, and Arizona State University. Prior to retirement from State service, she was the Financial Services Administrator at the Department of Economic Security, overseeing the agency’s budget and fiscal work.

Karen was one of the original staff in the Arizona Center for Economic Progress when it was created in 2016. She helped create what is now Budget 101, an explanation of how Arizona state government is funded, how the funds are spent, and the implications of tax policy on everyday Arizonans. We invite you to share her Budget 101 with concerned citizens in her honor.

We will have a formal send-off for Karen coming up, but on her last official day we give her our great thanks for all that she has contributed to the people and State of Arizona.

Most Sincerely,

January Contreras

CEO and President

More News

Mass Deportation Would Be a Job Killer for Arizona — Including for U.S.-Born Workers

New modeling finds 1,700 ICE arrests could ultimately cost more than 20,000 Arizona workers their jobs, compounding existing workforce and affordability pressures PHOENIX —  Intensified immigration enforcement…

As America250 Approaches, Arizona’s Story Must Include All of Us 

Arizona Center for Economic Progress calls for a tax code and state budget that reflect the people who build Arizona from the bottom up  PHOENIX — As Arizona and the nation prepare to mark 250 years of America, the…

What to know about USDA’s new SNAP payment error rate for Arizona

PHOENIX —  The U.S. Department of Agriculture today released states’ fiscal year 2025 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payment error rates. Arizona’s new payment error rate is 10.80%. The new rate could…