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DJ Summers

Director of Communications & Research Operations

For media inquiries, please contact cinamon@csinstituteus.org

DJ Summers is Common Sense Institute’s Director of Communications & Research Operations. He oversees CSI fellows and research staff, coordinates with partners, iterates and analyzes projects, and breaks down findings for the public, legislators, and commercial leaders. 

Prior to CSI, DJ attended the University of Utah and Syracuse University. He worked as a journalist, investigator, and political researcher across the U.S. from Washington, D.C. to Alaska. DJ has a drive to understand complex truths and make them clear and accessible to the public and its leaders alike.

DJ lives in Denver and is a classically trained pianist. He devotes his spare time to practicing and studying music. When not at the piano bench, he has a regimen of strength training, combat sports, and enjoying good Colorado beer.

Expert's Work
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Crime & Public Safety
Property and Violent Crime Rates in Colorado’s Largest Cities

Colorado’s violent and property crime rates rose sharply in the early 2020s, prompting varying responses from leaders at the state and local levels. Some have been more successful than others, according to

October 28, 2025 DJ Summers
Crime & Public Safety
The Reform Paradox: How Reduced Incarceration Has Coincided with Rising Crime

Over the past two decades, Colorado has pursued a steady course of criminal justice reform aimed at reducing the footprint of the state’s correctional system.

State Budget
Denver Spending in the Last Decade

Denver’s real expenditures per resident grew 51% in the past decade.

September 18, 2025 Emma RobertsDJ Summers
Taxes & Fees
The Impacts of Expiring Enhanced Premium Tax Credits in Colorado

During its upcoming special session, the Colorado legislature is expected to debate two proposals for recouping the lost credits: one funded through new fees on insurers and another that would tap into the

August 21, 2025 Erik GammDJ Summers
Jobs & Our Economy
Downtown’s sluggish recovery costing Denver tens of millions in unrealized sales tax revenues, study finds
The Denver Post

Restoring a “sense of safety and security” could help bring people back to city’s core neighborhoods, Common Sense Institute says.

October 31, 2024 DJ Summers
Crime & Public Safety
Common Sense Institute's DJ Summers talks about the FBI updating crime data
KOA Colorado

Common Sense Institute's DJ Summers talks about the FBI updating crime data

October 18, 2024 DJ Summers
Taxes & Fees
Town hall: Regional leaders delve into Denver's illegal immigration crisis
Colorado Politics

Panelists agree the federal government is not stepping in to fix growing crisis.

May 10, 2024 DJ Summers
Housing & Our Community
CSI’s DJ Summers talks about the new Colorado property tax relief proposal
KOA Colorado

DJ Summers talks about the new Colorado property tax relief proposal.

May 09, 2024 DJ Summers
Energy & Our Environment
Executive Action & Extraction: Economic Impacts of the Mineral E.O. in the West

In this episode, we discuss the economic impacts of mineral mining and alternative energy production in Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming, driven by the implementation of Executive Order 14241.

May 27, 2025 DJ Summers
Housing & Our Community
Homelessness: What Is the Best Approach to Tackling It?

There are two main ways to address homelessness: housing first and work first. In this episode, DJ Summers breaks down what each approach means, how they work, and the pros and cons of both.

April 21, 2025 DJ Summers
Housing & Our Community
Could Federal Workers Returning to the Office Boost Downtown Denver?

Our host DJ Summers, Director of Policy and Research for Common Sense Institute, delves deeper into CSI's recent report "Returning Government Employees to Work a Boon for Urban Economy" on this episode of C

March 10, 2025 DJ Summers