President
Robert Megna is president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government. He previously served as senior vice chancellor and chief operating officer of SUNY System Administration. In that role, he oversaw the operations of the chief information officer, the State University of New York (SUNY) Plaza business functions, capital facilities, campus energy management, and the Charter School Institute. He joined SUNY System Administration from Stony Brook University, where he served as senior vice president for finance and administration. Prior to joining Stony Brook, he served as executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority and New York State Canal Corporation.
Megna served as budget director for the New York State Division of the Budget (DOB), during which time the state achieved its highest financial rating in 40 years from three major credit rating agencies and passed four on-time budgets for the first time since the 1970s. He also chaired multiple governmental boards, including the Financial Restructuring Board, the New York Racing Association, and the Public Authorities Control Board. Megna has also served as commissioner for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, director of the revenue and economics unit at DOB, assistant commissioner of the office of tax policy at the Virginia Department of Taxation, director of tax studies at the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and deputy director of fiscal studies on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.
Megna earned an MS in economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science at the University of London and received both his BA in Economics and MPA from Fordham University.
Ep. 93. Freshmen Perspectives: Assemblymember Brian Cunningham
May 29, 2024
Our Freshmen Perspectives series continues with a conversation between Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna and New York State Assemblymember Brian Cunningham. Continue Reading...
Ep. 92. 100 Years of Executive Budgets
May 15, 2024
Dominic Colafati, New York State Division of the Budget's unit head for the Expenditure/Debt unit, joins Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna to talk about a project that reflects on 100 years of the executive budget process in New York. Continue Reading...
Ep. 88. Freshmen Perspectives: Assemblymember Dana Levenberg
April 3, 2024
New York State Assemblymember Dana Levenberg, a freshman legislator from the 95th district, discusses her career in public service at the local and state levels. Continue Reading...
What We’re Watching in New York State’s FY25 Budget
March 28, 2024
Rockefeller Institute researchers highlight some key issues in different areas of the NYS FY 2025 budget that intersect with their research in healthcare, education, fiscal analysis, cannabis policy, and environmental issues. Continue Reading...
Ep. 87. Freshmen Perspectives: Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton
March 26, 2024
New York State's Senator from the 23rd District, Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, joins Policy Outsider to discuss her experience as a freshman legislator in Albany. Continue Reading...
February 27, 2024
Guest Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff joins Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna to discuss what is included and excluded from budget numbers we see in New York and New Jersey. Continue Reading...
Ep. 85. What is a High NA EUV Lithography Center?
January 23, 2024
Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna and Empire State Development's Chief Operating Officer and Executive Deputy Commissioner Kevin Younis discuss the recent $10 billion investment in Albany's NanoTech Complex for a High NA EUV Lithography Center. Continue Reading...
Ep. 63. New York’s Investment in Innovation Infrastructure
December 13, 2022
NY CREATES President David Anderson joins to discuss the semiconductor industry at-large, the science behind the chip making process, and the importance of academic partnerships with SUNY’s colleges and universities to develop the workforce of tomorrow. Continue Reading...
Ep. 62. New York’s $100 Billion Micron Deal. How Did It Happen?
December 6, 2022
Empire State Development Chief Operating Officer and Executive Deputy Commissioner Kevin Younis details the landscape surrounding the semiconductor industry and what policies, negotiations, and infrastructure enabled Micron's $100 billion investment in upstate New York. Continue Reading...
Ep. 58. A Renewed Push for Marriage Equality—Part Two
October 14, 2022
In part two of this series on marriage equality, Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna talks with Senator Steve Saland, one of four Republican senators who crossed the aisle to say "aye" to the Marriage Equality Act in New York in 2011. Continue Reading...
Ep. 48. New York State Budget Roundup
April 13, 2022
The Rockefeller Institute highlights what you need to know about New York State's $220 billion budget for the 2023 fiscal year. Continue Reading...
Ep. 45. Behind the Fiscal Curtain: The Art of Budget Making
February 23, 2022
Robert Mujica joined host Alex Morse and Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna for a conversation about this year's budget. Continue Reading...
Behind the Fiscal Curtain: Forgotten Lessons from the 1970s NYC Fiscal Crisis
February 14, 2022
This blog presents key highlights from the Institute's webinar, "Behind the Fiscal Curtain: Forgotten Lessons From the 1970s New York City Fiscal Crisis." Continue Reading...
Ep. 43. Behind the Fiscal Curtain: Making the New York State Budget
February 2, 2022
Bob Megna discusses the behind-the-scenes of the New York State budget process. Continue Reading...
New York’s Governors: Changing Hands and Challenges
September 14, 2021
As New York enters a rebuilding phase under a new governor, Rockefeller Institute President Robert Megna lays out the challenges and opportunities of this transition period. Continue Reading...
Key Takeaways from New York’s 2022 Budget: A Blueprint for Rebuilding
August 25, 2021
Highlights from the Rockefeller Institute's July 28 event which brought together the three leaders who shaped New York's FY 2022 Budget to discuss the process and outcomes of the last two years of budgeting. Continue Reading...
