MaineAppliedResearch
Trusted, independent research and analysis
for Maine leaders
Public Policy
Evidence-based policy analysis and development
Community Needs Assessments
Qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis
Trend Analysis
Economic and demographic trend analysis
Surveys
Custom survey design and analysis
Programs
Evidence-based program development and evaluation
Custom Formats
Full range of report and presentation options
"Applied Research" uses the findings, techniques, and standards of scholarly research to find practical answers to real-world questions.
Economic research and analysis done with meticulous attention to rigor, application, and audience.
About
Catherine (Kate) Reilly is the principal of Maine Applied Research. She has spent nearly two decades providing high quality, independent research and data analysis to Maine leaders in government, business, philanthropy, and the non-profit sector. Her favorite jobs involve quietly helping them build effective programs and policies based on sound research and a practical understanding of their operating environment. She also loves helping to present their findings and ideas in compelling formats that connect with their target audience.
Kate began her career as a researcher at the University of Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center and eventually became Maine State Economist from 2005 to 2009. In that role, she managed the State Planning Office’s Economics and Demographics Program, providing information and policy analysis to Maine’s governor and legislature. She has served on Maine’s Consensus Economic Forecasting Commission, the Revenue Forecasting Committee, the advisory board to the New England Public Policy Center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and the Maine School of Science and Mathematics Board of Trustees (her alma mater). She holds a B.A. in economics from Loyola College in Maryland and an M.A. in economics from Fordham University.
Kate balances her state-level work with grassroots economic development in Scarborough, where she publishes Scarborough Living, a quarterly magazine celebrating the town's people and businesses. These roles give her a unique perspective on both the global forces shaping Maine’s economy and the daily challenges of running a small business.
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