Kendall joins us from Colorado State University, where he is completing his PhD in the Department of Economics. His primary research relates to the political economy of urban development and the evolution of state and local systems of taxation in the United States. His current research explores the economic history of the property tax in the Mountain West, the fiscal impacts of Colorado's heavy reliance on special district governments, and the relationship between tax revolts and public sector collective bargaining. Some might even argue these topics helped get him the job at CFI!

Following his MA from the New School for Social Research in 2015, Kendall served as an economist for the New York City Council under two speakers (Melissa Mark-Viverito and Corey Johnson). This work brought him front and center to questions of municipal finance and law-making in America’s largest city. While supporting the City Council in budget negotiations, Kendall worked on research projects in a number of areas, including economic development tax expenditures, budgetary reserves, social insurance programs, and pension financing. On top of his tax policy portfolio, Kendall staffed the Civil Service and Labor Committee. This involved research and analysis for oversight hearings on issues pertaining to the City’s 300,000 unionized staff, including a hearing on concentration in the municipal health insurance market. The committee was very active in legislation pertaining to the private sector workforce as well, and Kendall assisted in developing legislation regarding workplace regulations, from scheduling practices (New York City’s Fair Workweek Law) to the City’s own Secure Choice retirement program for private sector workers who (at the time) lacked access.

Kendall has taught a number of courses at Colorado State University, including Macroeconomics, the Economics of Public Finance, and International Finance and Policy. Most recently, he designed and taught a new Economics of Social Issues course for first-semester undergrads.

Beyond academic and policy pursuits, Kendall has been intimately connected to the labor movement for over a decade, having served on the core organizing committees of three union campaigns in the private and public sector – SENS-UAW Local 7902, the Association of Legislative Employees (ALE), and UCW-CSU (CWA Local 7799) – helping to develop the infrastructure for an active and democratic membership.