Cathy Koch, PhD
Vice President of Tax Policy
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation
Dr. Cathy Koch is a leading tax policy economist with extensive experience spanning federal government, the private sector, and nonprofit policy leadership. She currently serves as Vice President of Tax Policy at the The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, where she focuses on advancing policy solutions related to fiscal sustainability, tax reform, and long-term federal budget challenges. Her work centers on analyzing how tax policy shapes economic stability, public investment, and institutional accountability.
Before joining the Peterson Foundation, Dr. Koch served as Americas Tax Policy Leader at Ernst & Young and previously held senior policy roles in the U.S. Senate, including Chief Policy Advisor for Tax and Economics to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. She also served as Tax Chief for the Senate Finance Committee, where she helped shape major federal tax legislation, including provisions tied to healthcare financing and economic recovery. With deep expertise in federal tax policy and public finance, Dr. Koch brings critical perspective to conversations on nonprofit tax exemption, fiscal responsibility, and healthcare accountability.