Jamie Boex is a public finance economist and governance expert based in Fairfax County, Virginia.
With a deep commitment to advancing inclusive democracy, excellence in public administration, effective multilevel governance, and evidence-based policymaking, at home and around the world, Jamie’s research, teaching, and advocacy efforts focus on the intersection of governance, public finance, and equitable public service delivery.
His research and publications explore the design of intergovernmental fiscal transfer systems, the localization of sustainable development, and the role of multilevel governance systems in advancing the efficient, equitable, and accountable use of public finance. His work is informed by his working hypothesis that government operates most effectively when authority and resources are distributed in a way that efficiently empowers local communities to respond to their collective needs and priorities through inclusive, democratic local institutions.
As a scholar-practitioner, Dr. Boex has supported policy reforms in over 25 countries and collaborated extensively with international financial institutions and development agencies, including the World Bank, UNDP, and numerous bilateral development agencies. Among others, he has provided policy advice to India’s Sixteenth Finance Commission, Kenya’s Commission on Revenue Allocation, and Nepal’s National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission.
Jamie currently serves in the role of co-founder and Executive Director of the non-profit Local Public Sector Alliance, a global professional network of individuals and organizations advocating for inclusive decentralized governance and sustainable local development. From 2009-2015, Jamie worked at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. He also taught at Georgetown University’s Department of Economics as an Adjunct Professor in 2014 and 2015.
Elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in 2020, Jamie contributes to national conversations on federalism and intergovernmental relations through its Standing Panel on Intergovernmental Systems.
He established The State of Fairfax in 2025 to share evidence-based analyses that explore important issues related to the governance, administration, public finances, public services, and economy of Fairfax County, the Northern Virginia region, and the rest of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Jamie holds a Ph.D. in Economics (1999) from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, with specializations in public finance and urban economics. He is a member of the American Economic Association (AEA), the National Tax Association (NTA), the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM), and the National Civic League.