School faculty member Whitney Afonso elected vice chair of the Association for Budgeting & Financial Management

The School of Government is proud to share that faculty member Whitney Afonso was elected as vice chair for the Association for Budgeting & Financial Management (ABFM). She assumed the role in January 2026.

ABFM advances public sector budgeting and finance through professional development, research, and networking, providing a forum for academics and practitioners through conferences, publications (like Public Budgeting & Finance), and policy discussions to improve financial management in government and non-profits.

Afonso will serve a four-year term through December 31, 2029, moving sequentially through the roles of vice chair, chair-elect, chair, and finally immediate past chair.

As vice chair, Afonso will sit on the executive committee and oversee the site selection for the future 2028 ABFM conference and participate in other committees for award selection—working to ensure the organization continues to serve as a trusted resource for budgeting and financial professionals looking to grow their expertise. She also aims to lead an effort to conduct a mini-strategic plan for the organization. In 2027, Afonso will be chair-elect and will be responsible for planning the 2027 ABFM conference.

“I am excited to continue the great work that recent leadership has started.  ABFM has always been a welcoming group dedicated to doing important public budgeting and finance research.  It has always supported junior and mid-career folks,” Afonso said. “I’m really excited to be a part of continuing this work and identifying additional ways in which we can make ABFM an even greater value add for the researchers in its community and those in budgeting and finance more broadly.”

In 2028, Afonso will serve as the chair and lead the organization and executive committee. In 2029, she will assume the immediate past chair role—assisting the leadership team and serving as chair on several award committees.

For Afonso—who has been attending ABFM conferences since she was a graduate student and has never missed a single iteration since 2009—this honor is a special one; it comes from an organization with which she has engendered a strong scholarly community.

“It is really an honor to be elected as vice chair of ABFM. The kindness, encouragement, and constructive feedback I received from scholars around the country and world have been incredibly impactful.  I consider ABFM my intellectual home and am so excited to serve it and its members.”

Looking ahead to her four-year tenure, Afonso said she hopes to continue the organization’s dedication to serving as a trusted hub for more than just annual conferences—but as a network for budgeting and financial professionals to tap into year-round for professional development.

“ABFM’s leadership has been incredibly thoughtful and proactive about making sure the organization serves its members through more than just the annual conference and supports the lifecycle of their career.”

Afonso leads the NC Certified State Government Budget Professional Program, an academic state budget program the School created in partnership with the Officeof State Budget and Management (OSBM). Upon successful completion of the program and examination, students will be certified as a state budget professional from OSBM.

Registration is now open to join the NC Certified State Government Budget Professional Program.

Published January 20, 2026