Lee Munnich was a senior fellow and directed the State and Local Policy Program (SLPP) at the Humphrey School for 25 years. Munnich is currently a part-time senior researcher with SLPP.  Munnich’s research focuses on transportation policy and finance, congestion pricing, rural road safety, regional economic development, and industry clusters.

Munnich has more than 23 years of experience with state and local governments. He was a deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Trade and Economic Development, research director for the Minnesota Business Partnership, economic consultant for the Minnesota House of Representatives, manager of Midwest Research Institute's Center of Economic Studies, and executive director of the Minnesota Tax Study Commission. He was elected to the Minneapolis City Council twice in 1973 and 1975.

Munnich is a founder and secretary-treasurer of the Mileage-based User Fee Alliance (MBUFA). Munnich previously served as director of the national Center for Excellence in Rural Safety and as co-chair of the Transportation Research Board's Congestion Pricing Committee. Munnich founded and chaired the Minnesota Economic Resource Group in 1985, developed and managed the annual Economic Report to the Governor of Minnesota through 1991, and chaired the National Association of State Development Agencies' research division from 1986 to 1990.

In 2016, Munnich received the University of Minnesota President’s Award for Outstanding Service.

Munnich earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Georgetown University in 1967 and has done postgraduate work in economics and computer science at the University of Minnesota.