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The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) honored Jonathan Ball, the budget director for the Utah Legislature, with the Steven D. Gold Award at NCSL's Capitol Forum on Thursday in Washington, D.C.
"Jonathan exemplifies what the Gold Award is all about," said NCSL Executive Director William Pound. "He strives to bridge the worlds of academia and government so that citizens enjoy thoughtful, informed and practical laws and programs."
As director of the legislative fiscal analyst's office, Ball leads a team of 25 economists, accountants, analysts and support staff who help legislators craft the state budget each year. He has contributed to several academic publications, is a frequent guest lecturer at colleges and universities in Utah and regularly presents on budget issues for national organizations, including NCSL. He served as president of the National Association of Legislative Fiscal Offices and the Western States Legislative Fiscal Officers Association. He is currently staff co-chairman of NCSL's standing committees and a member of the NCSL executive committee.
"Legislative staffers typically prefer to toil away in anonymity," Ball said in a news release, "but this recognition is welcome and especially meaningful because it reflects what my team and I strive for on a daily basis — objective, accurate and relevant budget advice."