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Kelly Caufield

Executive Director

For media inquiries, please contact cinamon@csinstituteus.org

Kelly Caufield is the Executive Director of the Common Sense Institute. In this role, Kelly is the key management leader of CSI and oversees the administration, strategic plan, and programming for the organization. Kelly brings nearly 20 years of policy, research, and advocacy experience to CSI. 

Before joining CSI, Kelly served as the Vice President of Government Affairs for Colorado Succeeds, a coalition of business leaders dedicated to improving public education. In this role she oversaw statewide coalition building efforts that brought diverse business, education, and community partners together in collaborative ways around a shared policy agenda. 

Kelly also has experience as a federal lobbyist for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), focusing on labor and employment policy on behalf of 275,000 HR business professionals. Before joining SHRM, she spent a total of eight years on Capitol Hill working on the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and served as a legislative director for a U.S. Congressman. She attended the College of William and Mary in Virginia for her undergraduate degree and George Washington University for her master’s degree in Public Policy. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons. 

Expert's Work
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Ballot Issues
Ballot Guide 2024

The Common Sense Institute's 2024 Ballot Guide highlights the potential economic and fiscal impacts of key ballot measures in Colorado.

Taxes & Fees
Does SB24-233 Provide Taxpayer Relief and Predictability?

There is no relief for taxpayers. Coloradans will not have property tax relief from recent spikes. As reported by CSI, residential property assessment values increased over 27% in 2023. Under SB24-233, Colo

Education
The Limitations of House Bill 24-1363

According to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), The CDE mentioned that “if all charter schools were organized within a single district, it would be the largest school district in the state,” exempl

Jobs & Our Economy
Reimagining Colorado’s Social Safety Net to Incentivize Work

An Examination of Colorado’s economic competitiveness.

Jobs & Our Economy
Perspective: Back to work
Colorado Springs Gazette

March 02, 2025 Kelly Caufield
Free Enterprise Report
Perspective: Losing momentum
Colorado Springs Gazette

January 12, 2025 Kelly Caufield
Housing & Our Community
Colorado no longer a top 10 state for movers
Colorado Biz

The Common Sense Institute reports that Colorado is no longer a top 10 moving destination for those from other states.

October 22, 2024 Kelly Caufield
Ballot Issues
The CSI 2024 Ballot Guide and Inflation Misery featuring Kelly Caufield and Zach Milne

The Common Sense Institute's 2024 Ballot Guide highlights the potential economic and fiscal impacts of key ballot measures in Colorado.

October 29, 2024 Kelly CaufieldZachary Milne
Ballot Issues
Amendment 80: The Future of School Choice in Colorado

In this episode, DJ Summers is joined by Kelly Caufield, CSI Colorado’s Executive Director, to discuss Amendment 80.

September 16, 2024 Kelly CaufieldDJ Summers