Helene Grady is a nonresident fellow in the Tax Policy Center at the Urban Institute. She is also founder of Grady Advisory LLC, a firm that partners with mission-driven leaders across the public and private sectors to transform vision into measurable impact. Drawing on expertise in policy development and execution, financial management, and organizational excellence, she works alongside executives to advance key priorities and achieve results. Grady’s passion for civic engagement and supporting collaboration and partnership across sectors motivates her work. She served as Maryland’s secretary of budget and management from 2023 through 2025, appointed by Governor Wes Moore. She led development of the governor's $67 billion annual operating budget, served as his principal fiscal adviser, and oversaw human resources policy for more than 42,000 state employees. Her tenure included closing a historic $3.3 billion projected budget deficit while protecting 94 percent of Marylanders from income tax increases and maintaining significant reserves. Before joining Maryland state government, Grady spent more than a decade at Johns Hopkins University, ultimately serving as vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer—stewarding a $7 billion operating budget and leading strategic financial planning across one of the world’s preeminent research institutions. Earlier in her career, she held senior finance leadership roles with the City of Baltimore and the City of Philadelphia. Grady holds a BA from La Salle University and an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School.