Fall 2026
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 @ 4 p.m.
Todd 216
Keynote Speaker:
Ryan Frost,
Director of Budget & Tax Policy
Washington Policy Center
Ryan Frost serves as the director of budget and tax policy at the Washington Policy Center. He brings over a decade of experience in public sector finance and legislative analysis to the role. Previously, Frost was the managing director of the Pension Integrity Project at the Reason Foundation, where he led research on retirement system design and its accompanying budget impacts, testifying before legislative committees across the country. Prior to his work at Reason, he spent seven years as the senior research and policy manager for the Washington State Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters’ (LEOFF 2) Plan 2 Retirement Board. In that capacity, he conducted fiscal studies for the state legislature and drafted multiple pieces of adopted legislation. Frost holds a bachelor of arts in politics and government from Pacific Lutheran University. He resides in Washington state with his family.
Past Events
On 10/15/25 Mike Pellicciotti, Washington State Treasurer, presented: “Focus on the Long Term: Stewardship of Taxpayer Dollars by Maximizing Investments, Reducing Debt Costs, and Efficiently Managing State Cash Flow”
On 11/12/24 Ed Orcutt, WA State House of Representatives, presented: “Pulling Back the Curtain on Taxes in Washington”
On 4/1/24 State Senator Noel Frame, presented: “Making Strides to Increase Fairness in the WA State Tax System”
On 2/27/23 Melissa Hellmann, racial, gender and economic inequality reporter for the Center for Public Integrity, presented: “The Cost of Disparity: How State Tax Policies Fuel the Racial Wealth Gap”
On 2/15/22 Nina Olson, executive director and founder of the Center for Taxpayer Rights, presented: “Taxpayer Rights: Taxpayer Advocates and Trust in the Tax System”
On 3/9/21 David Cay Johnston presented: “The Prosperity Tax – An alternative for the 21st Century”
On 3/27/19 in Spark G45, the Hoops Tax Institute presented: “Sales Suppression Software: What is it, How Using it Hurts Others and Could Land You Behind Bars, and what You should do if You See it.”
Speakers included Richard Ainsworth, Mike Chertrude, and Kim Triplett‑Kolerich.
On 11/29/17 the Hoops Tax Institute presented: Thomas Neubig, founding member, Tax Sage Network, and his presentation, “Federal Tax Reform: Why is it Needed, Why so difficult?”
On 3/6/17 the Hoops Tax Institute presented “Governor Inslee’s 2017-19 Financial Plan,” a public lecture by David Schumacher, director of the Washington State Office of Financial Management.
On 10/20/16, the Hoops Tax Institute presented a panel discussion on I-732 Washington state’s carbon tax initiative.
Panelists included Yoram Bauman, Sen. Doug Ericksen, and Jeff Johnson
On 3/31/16 the Hoops Tax Institute presented a panel discussion on the OECD’s proposed multi-lateral agreement on corporate base erosion and profit sharing.
Speakers included Kimberly Clausing, Reuven Avi-Yonah, Leslie Robinson, and Chris Faiferlick.
On 10/6/15 Cara Griffith presented, “The Good, The Bad and the Downright Ugly: An Outsider’s Look at Washington State’s Tax System.”
On 2/19/15 David Cay Johnston presented, “How Government Creates Inequality: The Tax Rules That Take From the Many to Give to the Few.”