TAUBMAN CENTER FELLOWS & SCHOLARS
The Taubman Center and its affiliates house several research fellows each year, typically academics and experienced practitioners who take a sabbatical to study, write about, and help spread insights and ideas on a variety of subjects. During their time at the Harvard Kennedy School, they engage with other scholars and practitioners, faculty members, staff, and students.
Robert Gordon
Robert Gordon has spent over three decades serving in key roles at each level and in each branch of government, with a particular focus on improving government performance and advancing economic mobility.
Most recently, Robert served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Mobility at the Domestic Policy Council of the White House, handling education, housing, anti-crime, and anti-poverty initiatives, among others. Prior to that, he served as Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, leading several efforts to streamline grant and service delivery while saving taxpayers money.
Between 2019 and 2021, Robert was director of the Department of Health & Human Services for the State of Michigan, playing a key role early in the pandemic response. During the Obama-Biden Administration, Robert served as an acting deputy director and executive associate director at the Office of Management & Budget, guiding the Administration's evidence-based policy initiatives. Earlier in his career, Robert served as a senior official at the New York City Department of Education, driving an equity-focused school finance reform, a senior aide on Capitol Hill, and a law clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Outside government, Robert has worked as a senior vice president for global strategy and finance at the College Board, and, while a Skadden Fellow, as law guardian for children in abuse and neglect proceedings for the Juvenile Rights Division of Legal Aid in the Bronx, New York.
Robert's work has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Politico. He has a J.D. from Yale and a B.A. from Harvard. He is also a Doris Duke Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the McCourt School.
Kristi Jones
Kristi Jones brings over 25 years of high-impact leadership in public service, specializing in strategic policymaking and delivering transformative results. She served as Chief of Staff to Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina for seven and a half years, leading the team’s efforts to turn Governor Cooper’s vision into accomplishments. Kristi played a pivotal role in this administration which spearheaded initiatives to extend healthcare coverage to more than 600,000 newly eligible North Carolinians through NC Medicaid, propelled North Carolina to the top of CNBC's business rankings in 2022 and 2023, and led the charge towards a sustainable, clean energy future. Their efforts not only created jobs, reduced harmful emissions, and protected our environment, but also ensured a government that looks like the people it serves and works for all.
Prior to this, Kristi served as Chief of Staff to Attorney General Roy Cooper of North Carolina, where she played a key role in shaping policies and legal strategies, tackling crime, and safeguarding consumer rights. Her tenure as Executive Director of the North Carolina Initiative on Race under Governor Jim Hunt further showcased her ability to drive economic prosperity and improve race relations through strategic partnerships with business and community leaders.
Kristi is celebrated for her expertise in forging strategic alliances with policymakers, industry leaders, community advocates, and local and federal partners to move North Carolina forward. Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the Women In Government Relations, Governor's Staff Award (2024), UNC School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award (2021), and the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Wendell-Wake NAACP.
She is proud she chose to attend the best Historically Black College and University - North Carolina Central University. It has proven to be the foundation she needed. She then graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. Both esteemed North Carolina public universities prepared her professionally. A compelling and dynamic speaker, Kristi's reputation as a dedicated and effective public servant precedes her, having represented the Governor, Attorney General, and the State of North Carolina on numerous influential platforms.
Kristi Jones recently accepted a job as Vice President for Public Affairs and Sustainability for NiSource. NiSource is one of the largest fully regulated utility companies in the United States.
Jayne Millerick
Jayne Millerick served as Chief of Staff to New Hampshire Governor Christopher T. Sununu from 2017 to 2025. Prior to that, she owned and operated a corporate and political public relations consulting firm specializing in public affairs, strategic communications, and corporate media training.
Jayne served as public spokesperson and media consultant for corporations, trade associations, elected officials, candidates, and political parties for over a decade. Her media relations and public affairs firm also focused on crisis management and executive image consulting.
Over the years, she has appeared as a guest on MSNBC and Fox News and has had published interviews in the New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, Chicago Tribune and Boston Globe. These appearances are in addition to the numerous published interviews in New Hampshire based newspapers, radio and television.
From 2003 to 2005, Jayne served as Chairman of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee. She has volunteered on numerous non-profit Boards of Directors including the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy Board of Directors and the Concord Hospital Trust Board of Directors.
Samantha Silverberg
Samantha Silverberg served in the White House from 2021 to 2025, where she was the Special Assistant to the President for Transportation and Infrastructure Policy at the National Economic Council and Deputy Assistant to the President for Infrastructure Implementation under the White House Chief of Staff. In these roles, she was responsible for designing, negotiating, and implementing President Biden's signature infrastructure legislation, making historic investments across roads, bridges, transit, rail, water, high-speed internet, clean energy, resilience, and other sectors. During her tenure, federal agencies deployed over $600 billion in infrastructure funding across more than 70,000 projects, connected 3 million homes to high-speed internet, replaced 500,000 lead pipes, launched 12,000 bridge repair and replacement projects, and started construction at 200 airport terminals.
Prior to joining the White House, Samantha served in multiple leadership roles at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), also known as the "T". Samantha served as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, helping oversee the administrative functions of one of the oldest transit agencies in the country, including finance, revenue, information technology, human resources, labor relations, and real estate. As Senior Director of Capital Program Planning, she stood up a new function for capital planning, programming, budgeting, and decision-making to evaluate and prioritize projects using data-driven selection criteria. She also led the development of the first Capital Needs Assessment based on new analytic models to revise out-of-date backlog estimates and provide the foundation for a long-term capital plan. During her tenure, MBTA capital investment doubled from $875 million to $1.6 billion.
Samantha began her federal service as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Transportation. She earned a B.A. from the University of Virginia and a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School (2012).
Miro Weinberger
Miro Weinberger served as the Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, from 2012 to 2024, the longest continuous service of any mayor in the city’s history. During his tenure, Weinberger led significant initiatives that transformed Burlington, earning widespread recognition for his leadership in sustainability, economic development, and public health. Under his leadership, Burlington became the first city in the United States to achieve 100 percent renewable energy status, and carbon emissions were reduced by 18 percent between 2019 and 2023. He also steered the city’s financial recovery, raising its credit rating from near junk-bond status to AA, saving taxpayers and ratepayers over $40 million in interest. Additionally, Weinberger’s housing focus quadrupled the rate of housing production, and his proactive approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic helped keep Burlington's infection and death rates among the lowest in the country.
Prior to becoming mayor, Weinberger co-founded The Hartland Group, a real estate development and consulting firm based in Burlington, Vermont, in 2002. As a partner, he was instrumental in completing over $40 million in development projects, creating more than 200 homes across Vermont and New Hampshire. The Hartland Group was recognized for its focus on creating vibrant, high-quality, and sustainable urban neighborhoods, emphasizing well-designed buildings in downtowns and emerging New Urbanist communities.
Weinberger’s early career began in New York as Vice President for Capital Projects at the Greyston Foundation from 2000 to 2002, where he managed $20 million in affordable housing and community development projects. His work included leading the renovation of historic sites and navigating complex environmental remediation efforts. Prior to that, he served as Executive Assistant to the President of Greyston.
Weinberger holds a Master in Public Policy and Urban Planning from the Harvard Kennedy School (1998), where he completed a policy analysis thesis for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on promoting regional cooperation among municipalities. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in American Studies and Environmental Studies from Yale University (1993), where he received the prestigious Ellsworth Award for his senior thesis.
Weinberger's dedication to public service, urban development, and sustainability continues to shape his legacy as a transformative leader in Burlington and beyond.