June 10, 2011, Ottawa, ON – The Macdonald-Laurier Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Clemens as the new director of research and managing editor. Mr. Clemens will assume his new role on a full-time basis as of August 1, 2011.
Mr. Clemens will be returning to Canada to take up this new position after having spent a little over three years in the United States leading research efforts on national and state policy issues in California for the Pacific Research Institute (PRI). The range of issues covered during his time in the United States included California’s deficit, state and local taxes, federal spending, deficits, and debt, healthcare, and the effect of lobbying on public policy.
According to MLI Managing Director Brian Lee Crowley, “We couldn’t be more pleased to have such a prominent member of the Canadian and global think tank community coming home to play this key role at MLI. Jason’s work in a wide array of public policy fields is extremely well known and he has the respect of policymakers, analysts, the media and those affected by public policy throughout this country. This key appointment is another milestone in MLI’s progress toward becoming Canada’s premier think tank on national policy.”
Prior to leaving Canada to join PRI, Mr. Clemens held senior positions in the think tank community for nearly eleven years and published over fifty major studies across a wide range of issues concerning Canadian public policy, including taxes, healthcare, education, productivity, government spending, labour market regulation, and banking.
Mr. Clemens was a co-author (along with Brian Lee Crowley and Niels Veldhuis) of MLI’s first book, The Canadian Century, which was recently awarded the prestigious Sir Antony Fisher Memorial Prize by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation.
“I’m thrilled and excited to be returning to Canada in a period filled with so much opportunity. I honestly believe the country has a chance to fulfill Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier’s vision for a Canadian Century if the proper public policies are implemented over the next few years. I couldn’t think of a better organization to join to pursue those ends,” commented Clemens on his appointment.
Mr. Clemens will be responsible for the institute’s full range of research as well as assisting Dr. Crowley with the development and management of the organization as a whole. Mr. Clemens can be reached at jason.clemens@macdonaldlaurier.ca or by telephone at (415) 955-6137 prior to July 14th and at (613) 482-8327 after August 1st.
