Bio: Margaret Simms is an economist who spent the majority of her career in policy research organizations, serving on the staffs of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (last position vice president for governance and economic analysis)  and the Urban Institute (director of low income working families initiative and nonresident fellow (last position). Prior to her positions in Washington, DC, she was on the faculty of Atlanta University (prior to the merger with Clark College).  Dr. Simms has also been active in professional organizations in the economics and public policy fields, including the National Economic Association (NEA), the American Economic Association (AEA), the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM), the National Association for Social Insurance (NASI), and the National Association of Public Administration (NAPA).  She served as editor of the Review of Black Political Economy for five years and helped it transition from the Black Economic Research Center to the National Economic Association. Most of her research has been in the areas labor market policy, programs to support low income families, racial disparities, and public service delivery.