Council for Community and Economic Research

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The Council for Community and Economic Research

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Attendee List

The full attendee list for the conference is available as a PDF. Click here to view the attendee list.

Speakers and Speaker Biographies

(As of May 31, 2012)
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Marlena Bandurski, Manager of Economic Research, Economic Development, The Greater Des Moines Partnership — Bio: Marlena Bandurski is a Past Chair of The Council for Community and Economic Research. Ms. Bandurski joined the Greater Des Moines Partnership as Manager of Economic Research in 1999. Her primary mission was to establish a Regional Resource Center for the newly formed partnership's economic development arm. During the preceding 14 years, Ms. Bandurski held various research and marketing positions with the Iowa Department of Economic Development. She enjoys board-level involvement with her favorite research and community organizations, currently serving as immediate past president of the Des Moines Leadership Network and fulfilling a term on the C2ER Board. Past directorships include Professional Developers of Iowa and the Women's Chamber Alliance in Des Moines. Ms. Bandurski is a charter member of the LocationOne Information System (LOIS) Advisory Council, helping to guide enhancements to the oldest and largest online building, site and community database in the U.S.
Meihui Bodane, Market Analyst, NC Commerce Department — Bio: Meihui Bodane is the Senior Market Research Analyst for the North Carolina Department of Commerce. In that role, she works with a team of researchers and analysts who support the mission of the Department as the lead economic development agency of the state. She works closely with the Department's Business & Industry Division and other economic development partners for various projects and research efforts which include workforce and occupational analysis, industry sector research, competitiveness analysis, and community and global business investment report. Meihui graduated with a MBA from the State University of New York at Albany. She is also a 2011 graduate of Leadership Triangle in North Carolina.
Mary Cerney, Research Director, South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development — Bio: Mary Cerney is the Research Director for the South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED). She leads a four-person research team that is charged with creating website content, tax and business cost analyses, agency and division metrics, and program development. With the GOED since 1986, she began as a writer/researcher, and has held her current position since 2005. She received her Bachelor's of Arts in Technical Journalism from Colorado State University.
Terry Clower, Director, UNT Center for Economic Development and Research — Bio: Terry L. Clower is director for the Center for Economic Development and Research at the University of North Texas and an associate professor of applied economics. The Center provides economic and public policy consulting services primarily to clients in the non-profit and public sectors. Prior to joining UNT in 1992, Dr. Clower was employed in private industry in logistics and transportation management positions. Dr. Clower has served as project manager, staff researcher and statistical analyst on numerous projects reflecting experience in economic and community development, economic and fiscal impact analysis, survey research design, housing market issues, land use planning, labor market analysis, transportation, and forecasting. He is a former board member of the Council for Community and Economic Research. Dr. Clower has authored or co-authored over 100 articles, book chapters, and research reports. His scholarly articles have appeared in Economic Development Quarterly, Urban Studies, Economic Development Review, the Australasian Journal of Regional Studies, Sustaining Regions, and Applied Research in Economic Development. He is a regional (Americas) editor for the journal Regional Science Policy and Practice. Dr. Clower is also an instructor for certification courses sanctioned by the International Economic Development Council and the Council for Community and Economic Research. Dr. Clower received a B.S. in Marine Transportation from Texas A&M University in 1982, a M.S. in Applied Economics from the University of North Texas in 1992 and a Ph.D. in Information Sciences from the University of North Texas in 1997.
Drew Conrad, Program Manager, University of Northern Iowa — Bio: Drew Conrad is the Senior Program Manager for the Institute for Decision Making and the Special Projects Manager for the Business and Community Services Division at The University of Northern Iowa. His responsibilities include the design, delivery and follow-up of community and regional-level services including strategic and short-term planning, conducting community assessments, cluster analysis and target industry analysis, regional workforce analysis and strategy development, and conducting other applied research projects. Drew has worked on collaborative projects with Iowa Workforce Development, Iowa Department of Economic Development, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness and the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). Drew is a Past-President of the Professional Developers of Iowa and currently serves on the C2ER Board of Directors. Additionally, he is an instructor for the C2ER's Training Institute and for the Labor Market Information Training Institute. Drew sits on the Editorial Board of Applied Research in Economic Development and has taught for UNI's Political Science Department. He is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and a graduate of the Economic Development Institute (EDI) at the University of Oklahoma. He holds a BA in American History/Pre-Law and a Masters in Public Policy (MPP).
Chris Cook, Assistant Economist, Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) — Bio: Christopher Cook, Assistant Economist, graduated with a BA in Economics and Environmental Studies from St. Lawrence University. Mr. Cook began his work at REMI in 2011, focusing primarily on economic analysis of energy and environmental policies, transportation, and fiscal policy. He has also worked in business development at REMI, conducting informational seminars and training sessions throughout the U.S. Prior to his work at REMI, Mr. Cook worked at BNY Mellon, focusing on energy markets and working on new projects to expand the firm's business in the energy efficiency sector.
Gary Crossley, Executive Director, Workforce Information Council — Bio: Gary Crossley serves as the Executive Director of the national Workforce Information Council, a unique federal state collaboration between Department of Labor and state workforce information officials. The Workforce Information Council helps guide the development and improvement of the nationwide workforce and labor market information system. Gary's present business, LovetoWork.org, LLC specializes in helping individuals and companies find work they are passionate about and motivated to accomplish at the highest level of performance. His web site, www.lovetowork.org, provides a variety of services to companies, workforce organizations, government entities, and individuals. He also serves as a part time Career Transition Specialist with the Charleston County School District Adult Education program. In addition to individuals to whom he provides career coaching services, his customers and consulting clients include: The Post & Courier (Career Center features each month); One Stop Centers; and, employment/training organizations. He serves as a contributing writer on workforce and educational issues for several national and local organizations/news groups.
Tony Crumbley, CCR, Vice President, Research, Charlotte Chamber — Bio: Tony Crumbley heads up the research efforts of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. The chamber's economic development team was named one of the top ten economic development groups in the nation by Site Selection magazine in 2009. Over the years, Tony and his team have won numerous economic development marketing awards. Tony's focus is the development of the chamber's marketing tools to attract new industry to the Charlotte area. His efforts have helped guide economic development of the Charlotte area for 34 years. In the last 10 years alone, his work has guided the more than 7,000 companies which decided to relocate or expand in Charlotte. Those companies have created more than 60,000 new jobs and invested $12 billion in Mecklenburg County. Tony joined the Chamber in 1976 as an intern while in graduate school. Since that time, he has filled many research roles while rising to this current status as vice president of research. Over the years, Tony has served on many national and local board of directors as well as filled many offices. He is a past president of C2ER, a national organization of applied community researchers, a past president of the American Marketing Association where the Charlotte chapter won the National Chapter Excellence Award during the year of his presidency. He has served as board member of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives and the Employment Security Commission Advisory Board. He is a member of the United Way Marketing Research Committee, active in local Boy Scouts, has served on the U.N.C. Charlotte Foundation Executive Committee, U.N.C. Charlotte School of Business Alumni Advisory Board and is a past president of the U.N.C. Charlotte Alumni Board of Governors where he has been elected to the U.N.C. Charlotte Alumni Hall of Fame. Tony served in the U.S. Air Force from 1966 to 1970, received his B.A. in Business Administration from U.N.C. Charlotte in 1972 and continued his graduate studies in Economic Geography at U.N.C. Charlotte. He is also a graduate of U.N.C. Chapel Hill's Basic Industrial Development Course. In 1990, Tony was granted the status of Certified Community Researcher by the organization now known as C2ER. Tony is a native of Kannapolis, N.C., is married to Renea Funderburk Crumbley and has two children.
Erica Dickinson, Product Specialist, Burning Glass — Bio: Erica Dickinson is Burning Glass's Product Specialist for our real-time jobs intelligence analysis and reporting suite. Erica accrued extensive field-level experience with real-time demand analysis through her prior work with the State of New Hampshire's Labor Market Information Bureau where she used online job postings to study the green economy and its emerging skill requirements. Erica now capitalizes on that "under-the-hood" knowledge in helping a range of Burning Glass clients – including employers, educators, and workforce and economic development agencies – leverage real-time job market intelligence to guide strategy and meet their tactical objectives. Erica holds a BA in Economics from Smith College.
Tim Duffy, Central Regional Manager, Geographic Solutions — Bio: Mr. Duffy is the Central Regional Manager for Geographic Solutions and has been with the company for more than twelve years. In this role he has worked extensively with state and local workforce boards to develop and implement various modules of Virtual OneStop. Mr. Duffy has spoken and presented at many workforce conferences across the country on topics including one-stop automation, labor market information, service tracking, reporting and performance improvement. Mr. Duffy has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Methodist University and graduated Summa Cum Laude with an MBA from Florida Metropolitan University.
Jason El Koubi, Assistant Secretary, Louisiana Economic Development — Bio: Jason El Koubi is the Assistant Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Economic Development (LED). In this role he manages LED initiatives and programs related to business intelligence, state economic competitiveness, community development, small business development, emergency response and recovery, and entertainment industry development. Before being promoted to Assistant Secretary, he served as the Director of the State Economic Competitiveness group within the LED, where he directed LED's efforts to strengthen Louisiana's economic competitiveness through a broad range of public policy improvements and strategic initiatives. Prior to joining LED, he served as policy director of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC). At BRAC, he directed policy and research operations and played an integral role in transforming BRAC into one of the leading regional economic development organizations in the nation. Under his leadership, BRAC's policy research team won the top economic development research award in the nation for two consecutive years. Prior to graduate school, he practiced environmental engineering with Trinity Consultants, where he advised industrial facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi on environmental issues related to major plant expansions. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering with honors from LSU, where he served as Speaker of the Student Senate, and a Master of Science in Public Policy with honors from the London School of Economics. He lives in Baton Rouge with his wife Allison, who is a public school principal.
Russell Evans, Executive Director and Research Economist, Steven C. Agee Economic Research and Policy Institute, Oklahoma City University — Bio: Russell Evans is in the final stages of completing his Ph.D. in economics at Oklahoma State University. He was named the executive director of the Steven C. Agee Economic Research and Policy Institute in the 2011 spring semester. He previously taught at The University of Tulsa and the University of Central Oklahoma, and he served as director of the Center for Applied Economics at Oklahoma State University. Mr. Evans specializes in public policy, costing, pricing and non-market valuation, antitrust and regulation, and tort evaluation. He is currently involved in the econometric estimation of various taxes and their burden on different sectors of the Oklahoma state economy. When completed, this model will be the first of its kind in Oklahoma and will provide the most accurate analysis to date of the progressivity of the state's tax system.
Alex Forrest, Assistant Planner, Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) — Bio: Alex Forrest, Planning Analyst, holds a BS in Environmental Design with a concentration in Urban Planning from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has worked with REMI since 2011providing his efforts to REMI model development, data management and providing his expertise in urban and regional planning throughout ongoing projects. Mr. Forrest has worked with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in Springfield, Massachusetts and as an undergraduate, interned with the Massachusetts Public Interest Group (MASSPIRG) coordinating the 21st Century Transportation Campaign.
Lisa Franklin, Manager, Economic Development, KCP&L/LocationOne — Bio: Lisa Franklin, CEcD, EDFP, is a recognized leader in the economic development profession. With more than 25 years of experience providing value to economic development organizations and communities as both a practitioner and consultant, she is frequently called upon to provide innovative solutions for economic development organizations to improve the overall effectiveness of technology-led initiatives. As Manager of Economic Development for KCP&L, Lisa's primary responsibility is to administer and manage the LocationOne Information System (LOIS), an economic development site selection application that has grown rapidly over the last few years and now serves more than 8,000 communities across nearly 30 states. LocationOne has been recognized by numerous economic development organizations, including the International Economic Development Council and ESRI, as one of the leading economic development site selection applications in the marketplace. In 2012, Lisa's primary focus is launching one of the first nationwide iPhone and Android economic development site selection mobile applications and new LOIS Data Administration site for its users. Prior to joining KCP&L, Lisa held positions with the Missouri Department of Economic Development, Jackson County Economic Development, Aquila and Real-Info, an economic development consulting company. Lisa is an active member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), Utility Economic Development Association (UEDA), the Missouri Economic Development (MEDC-Counselor) and the Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation (Board Member) where she resides. Lisa received the designation "Certified Economic Developer" (CEcD) from IEDC in 1995 and her "Economic Development Financial Professional" (EDFP) certification in 1997. She holds a bachelor's degree in marketing and management from Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri.
Dean Frutiger, Project Manager, COLI, C2ER — Bio: Dean Frutiger is the COLI Project Manager for the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The Cost of Living Index (COLI), is a quarterly data collection project that results from the coordinated research efforts of individuals at chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, academic institutions, and regional planning councils from across the country. The COLI, now in its 40th year, is a renowned comparative measure of city-to-city key consumer costs. Mr. Frutiger oversees and manages its regular production. As COLI Project Manager, Mr. Frutiger coordinates and compiles the data provided from volunteers in nearly 400 communities from urban areas throughout the United States, manages subscriber correspondence, and methodically works to enhance both the quality of the data gathered and the form which it is presented to the end user. Mr. Frutiger also leads efforts in COLI-related new product development. Mr. Frutiger is also a subject matter expert in labor relations and labor economics, specialized in economic redevelopment. Before joining C2ER, he served as the Manager of Information and Research Services for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) in Arlington, Virginia. Prior to ELFA, he was the Assistant Director of Research for the Amalgamated Transit Union in Washington, DC. He has also served on the Labor Research Advisory Council for the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington, DC, working on the Occupational Safety and Health and Compensation and Working Conditions subcommittees. Mr. Frutiger's research experience includes conducting economic redevelopment and wage analysis work through the Political Economy Research Institute in Amherst, Massachusetts, as well as through the joint Cornell University-UMass-Amherst project "Impact of U.S.-China Trade Relations on Workers, Wages, and Employment." The results from the latter were submitted to the U.S.-China Security Review Commission/U.S. Trade Deficit Review Committee. In 2001, Mr. Frutiger co-authored "Wages, Dignity, and Respect, The Impact of Unionization on Low-Wage Women Workers" with Dr. Stephanie Luce, published by the University of Massachusetts. He is also the author of "AFL-CIO China Policy: Labor's New Step Forward or the Cold War Revisited?" which was published in the fall 2002 edition of Labor Studies Journal. Mr. Frutiger holds a Master's of Science in Labor Relations from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he specialized in political economy and research methodology. He has a Bachelor's degree in American History from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont.
Jim Futrell, Vice President, Market Research, Pittsburgh Regional Alliance — Bio: James Futrell is Vice President of Market Research and Analysis for the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, an affiliate of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. His major responsibilities include conducting in-depth research on targeted businesses and industries, impact analyses, ensuring data integrity of marketing materials and presentations, and overseeing and updating electronic proprietary data sources. During his tenure, he has developed a proactive lead identification process that resulted in Google establishing its engineering center in the region and launched a major research initiative measuring the impact of international business on the Pittsburgh region. He has been recognized three times by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) at their annual Applied Community and Economic Research Awards, most recently for the study — the Economic Impact of the Oil and Gas Industry in Pennsylvania. He also sits on the executive committee of C2ER, currently serving as treasurer. Before joining the Conference in 2002, Mr. Futrell worked for PNC Financial Services Corporation holding positions as a Loan Underwriter, Credit Analyst, Market Analyst, and Marketing Research Analyst. Specifically, he authored an extensive study of the internet as an emerging retail channel in 1999 that was termed "the definitive work on the subject" by the Director of Research at Simon Property Group. During his time at PNC, he also developed state of the art marketing research methodology in support of the Community Reinvestment Act. Mr. Futrell has also worked in market research and analysis for the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation in Youngstown, Ohio and Sears, Roebuck and Company in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Futrell has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with majors in Marketing and Organizational Administration from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Futrell is part of a select group to be recognized as a Certified Community Researcher (CCR) by C2ER. He is an avid amusement park enthusiast serving as Historian for the National Amusement Park Historical Association, working with the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, publishing four books on the subject and authoring numerous articles on the subject.
Bonnie Graybill, Research & Outreach Consultant, State Economic & Labor Analysis, The Conference Board — Bio: Bonnie Graybill recently retired from California State government, continues to be interested and engaged in service to the workforce and economic development community. Bonnie was a leader in the California Labor Market Information Division since 1991, and Deputy Division Chief from 2007-2010. Bonnie led research in a variety of areas including the green economy, emerging occupational skills and "real time" LMI. Bonnie's career in State government began in 1973. She managed a variety of programs including human resources and Planning Chief for EDD's Director. Bonnie has a BA in Sociology from University of California, Davis, and a MS degree in Counseling from California State University, Sacramento.
Erina Green, Data Analyst, ACT — Bio: Erina Green is a Data Analyst with ACT, Inc, and leads the maintenance and analysis of state and county data for Certified Work Ready Communities. She has nearly two decades of experience in the design and development of reporting tools, data collection, storage, and analysis. In the late 1990's, Erina moved from construction into the logistics and transportation industry using customer metrics to improve service delivery for Airborne Express in Illinois. In 2000 she joined the Georgia Department of Transportation as manager of the statewide portable data collection program. Her success with integrating data and GIS facilitated her promotion to managing the state mapping unit. She expanded resources for a geospatial infrastructure while partnering with vendors on the Georgia State map. Before joining ACT, Inc. in 2012, Erina served with Murata Electronics and designed a system to allow domestic and international staff and consultants to process commission sales data. Erina holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a MBA in Management Information Systems.
Alexandra Hall, LMI Director, Colorado Dept. of Labor & Employment — Bio: Alexandra Hall is the director of the Office of Labor Market Information (LMI) and chief economist of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. She is responsible for Colorado's contribution to a number of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics economic series on Colorado labor markets. Alex is involved with several national committees and, at the state level, she serves on the Board of Commissioners of State Veteran's Nursing Homes and the Governor's Revenue and Economic Advisory Committee.
Janet Hammer, Director, The Initiative on Triple Bottom Line Development, College of Urban and Public Affairs, Portland State University — Bio: Dr. Janet Hammer serves as Program Director for The Initiative on Triple Bottom Line Development at Portland State University. Drawing on two decades of experience in public, private, and non-profit settings, Janet's work focuses on development strategies that deliver strong economic, social, and environmental results – a concept known as the triple bottom line or TBL. Currently, she is leading a project for the US Economic Development Administration (EDA) to create an on-line tool to help align economic development investments with triple bottom line results. The TBL Tool is useful to investors, practitioners, and decision-makers in public, private, and non-profit settings. Janet is a systems thinker who works in the challenging but rich spaces that exist where different disciplines and sectors intersect. She comes from a family of small business owners, and her degrees have been earned at UC Davis, the University of Pennsylvania, and Portland State University.
James Held, Director, Center for Policy and Planning, Empire State Development — Bio: Jim Held is the Research Director at Empire State Development, the lead economic development agency in New York State. He specializes in regional economic analysis and industry cluster research and has also done work in program evaluation and policy development in the technology, transportation and workforce fields. Jim is a member of the Board of Directors of the Council for Community and Economic Research and is a Certified Community Researcher (CCR). He earned his Ph.D. in Managerial Economics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
John Helms, CIO/Director, Information Technologies, Mississippi Development Authority — Bio: John Helms has been employed by the Mississippi Development Authority, the state's lead economic development organization, for fourteen years, and has served as Research Bureau Manager for eight years. In 2008 he was named deputy director of the Marketing and Communications Division of the agency and in 2010 became the Director of Information Technologies (CIO) for the agency. Helms has an extensive background in marketing, communications and business research. He served as marketing director and/or vice president of marketing for four different Mississippi corporations over a 20-plus year span. He is sought as a speaker for national and regional conferences on technology, research and internet marketing subjects, and consults in these fields as they relate to economic development. He sits on the Board of Directors for The Mississippi University Research Authority, The Mississippi Council for Educational Technology, The Mississippi Coordinating Council for Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems and is the Chairman for the Council for Community and Economic Research out of Arlington, VA. He, his wife Dre', and their two sons reside in Florence, MS, where in 2005 he was elected Alderman to the governing body of the city, and serves in that capacity today. His wife is a professional educator and curricula writer. Helms earned his Master of Science Degree in Economic Development from The University of Southern Mississippi and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from The University of Mississippi.
Steve Hine, Research Director, Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development — Bio: Steve Hine is the director of the Labor Market Information Office at DEED. He has a master's degree and Ph.D. in economics from Washington State University in Pullman and a bachelor's degree from Bemidji State University.
Lesley Hirsch, Director, NYC Labor Market Information Service, Center for Urban Research, City University of New York Graduate Center — Bio: Lesley Hirsch joins the staff of the Center for Urban Research as the director of the NYC Labor Market Information Service (NYCLMIS), formed in 2008 as a joint endeavor of the New York City Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and the Center for Urban Research. The purpose of the service is to provide timely, accurate, and relevant research responding to the needs of the City's workforce and economic development policy makers and practitioners. The NYCLMIS works closely with the WIB, the city's Department of Small Business Services, and other WIB-served agencies. Lesley has held senior research and evaluation positions developing policy-relevant research for over fifteen years, working with stakeholders to improve urban policies, programs, and practices. Most recently, she was the research director at the Education Law Center, a public interest law and advocacy firm representing more than 300,000 children who live in New Jersey's poorest cities. She is a CUNY doctoral student in political science and has taught theories of the policy process and New York City politics at City College.
Jenny Hsu, Manager, Economics, Greater Houston Partnership — Bio: Jenny Hsu is a regional economist and manager of economic research at the Greater Houston Partnership. She studies Houston's economic trends in areas such as employment, upstream energy activity and international trade. Additionally, Jenny conducts in-depth analysis of pressing issues such as the repercussions of the drilling moratorium, the impact of the Panama Canal expansion on Houston's economy, and the addition of international air service at Hobby Airport. Jenny also contributes to the monthly publication of the GHP's Economy at a Glance and oversaw the publication of the 2011 Houston Economic Development Guide and the 2011 Houston Facts. Although she enjoys writing about the economy, Jenny is even fonder of speaking on business and economic issues. Prior to joining GHP, Jenny worked for the Millennium Challenge Corporation in Washington, D.C. analyzing the eligibility indicators used to disburse over $7 billion to 25 developing countries. She also worked at the U.S. Department of Labor on identifying labor rights issues surrounding the Colombia Free Trade Agreement and the African Growth and Opportunities Act. Jenny received her Master in Public Policy from Georgetown University and her undergraduate degree in international business from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a native Houstonian and has lived in the city off and on for over 20 years.
Patrick Jankowski, Vice President, Research, Greater Houston Partnership — Bio: Patrick Jankowski is a regional economist and vice president of research at the Greater Houston Partnership. He oversees the research department which provides information gathering, data analysis, database management, economic forecasting and mapping functions for the Partnership's five divisions. Prior to working as an economist, Jankowski worked as a business writer for Houston Magazine, Houston City Magazine, Houston Engineer and Houston Business Journal. The fact that three of those four publications are no longer in business is not a reflection on his ability as a writer. Mr. Jankowski is a frequent speaker on business and economic issues and has served as an expert witness in cases regarding local business and economic trends. The fact that two of the three clients he worked for last year are no longer in business is not a reflection on his ability as an economist. Jankowski is a member of the Texas Economic and Demographic Association, the National Association for the Business Economics, and the Commercial Real Estate Research Forum. Currently, he is president of The Houston Economics Club and he serves on the board of the Washington-based Council for Community and Economic Research. The fact that he's a member of so many research organizations does suggest he's a bit of a data nerd. When he's not trying to understand what drives Houston's economy, he's either watching his youngest daughter play soccer, writing checks to his oldest daughter at Texas A&M, or hitting golf balls at the driving range with his son. Jankowski doesn't play golf, but he does like hitting small objects with big clubs. Jankowski received his economics degree from the University of Texas at Austin, which makes for interesting family gatherings every Thanksgiving. His son graduated from Texas A&M and his daughter now attends there. "I always remind my children, 'They may get their education from Texas A&M, but it's paid for by my UT degree.'" Jankowski has worked for the Greater Houston Partnership, and its predecessor, the Houston Chamber of Commerce, 29 years. That would be a record for most employees. He's also been married to Olga Jankowski for 29years, which is a record for most marriages. Both have been wonderful experiences.
Ron Kelly, Director, Workforce Research & Training, C2ER — Bio: Ronald Kelly serves as Program Manager for the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC), the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), and the Labor Market Information (LMI) Training Institute. He is also serving as C2ER's Assistant Project Manager for the Arizona Department of Commerce LMI Improvement Grant. As Program Manager for C2ER, Mr. Kelly has developed, produced, and implemented training programs for member organizations on topics including: the types and forms of socioeconomic data; how data can be used by organizations to create more effective programming; and how to collect, analyze, prepare, and present socioeconomic data. Mr. Kelly is regularly involved in the preparation of client reports and in the presentation of research findings. He also coordinates C2ER's organizational advocacy efforts nationwide. As C2ER's Assistant Project Manager for the Arizona Department of Commerce LMI Improvement Grant, Mr. Kelly managed staff that conducted a survey of 10,000 Arizona-based firms designed to quantify the state's green employment. Under his supervision, the final survey response rate exceeded 52%. Mr. Kelly has also led focus groups with stakeholders to provide qualitative data for the survey analysis. Also as part of the grant, he led additional focus groups to provide insight from data users on their needs in relation to the Arizona Workforce Informer website. Additional work for the State of Arizona includes industry profiles, namely on the renewable energy industry. Mr. Kelly is also working with the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce, Collaborative Economics and The Aspen Institute on a sector strategies project, and has been involved with the Arizona State Energy Sectors Partnership grant. In his work with the LMI Training Institute, Mr. Kelly manages the Projections Managing Partnership (PMP) Consortium's efforts to convert its training to an e-learning format. Mr. Kelly organized the PMP Summit, a conference and strategic planning session for the PMP Consortium, which provided an opportunity for peer learning among state projections analysts from around the country. The Summit also served as a strategic planning session for the Consortium. Playing an integral role in the Institute's training efforts, Mr. Kelly has assisted in the design of recent training curriculum and conference sessions, including an exercise-driven applied LMI training course and a course focused on the green economy in terms of its implications for LMI staff. Mr. Kelly has organized, designed, and moderated a series of well-attended webinars on a variety of LMI topics. Two of these webinars, on the study of the green economy, have been posted on the "Workforce3One" website's Green Jobs Community of Practice of the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration; one of these webinars was used as suggested technical assistance material for all LMI Improvement Grantees. He has also led efforts to identify subject matter experts among the LMI community to serve as trainers. Mr. Kelly coordinates logistics and production for monthly webinars of the Association of Public Data Users. Prior to joining CREC, Mr. Kelly served as a Teaching and Research Specialist in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University. He also came to CREC with significant experience in community development finance, having served as: a contract consultant to community development financial institutions and the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, a founder of a low-income designated credit union in Upstate New York, a Supervisory Committee member of Alternatives FCU, and a Financial Analyst for ShoreBank, where he served primarily as Fund Advisor to the National Community Investment Fund. Mr. Kelly holds a Masters in Regional Planning from Cornell University's Department of City and Regional Planning with a concentration in Economic Development Planning and a Bachelor's of Science degree in Business Management from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Billy Leung, Vice President, Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) — Bio: Billy Leung holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and received his M.A. in Regional Economics and Social Development at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. His master's thesis was on the research and development of incorporating transportation and land use with Input/Output economic modeling. Mr. Leung has spent the last three years working on the development of the REMI model and consulting on economic analysis. He has performed such economic impact studies as site selection for pharmaceutical research and development facility. He advised the new Mexico State government on the economic impacts of legislative bills in New Mexico's 2003 special legislative session and in the 2004 legislative session. As an economist and consultant at REMI, Mr. Leung has developed economic research and analytical skills in regional economies and public policy issues including transportation, economic development, emissions, taxation, and counterfactual scenarios. He researched and developed the methodology to analyze the economic impact of Connecticut's Bradley International Airport for the Connecticut Economic Development Community Department. He analyzed the economic impact of a new Bio-Diesel industry in New York State for the U.S. EPA and researched the economic impact of widening New Mexico's US 54 for the New Mexico Department of Transportation. Mr. Leung was promoted to Vice President at REMI in January 2009.
Dave Lopez, Secretary of Commerce, Oklahoma Department of Commerce — Bio: Dave Lopez has long active in corporate and community leadership positions, he continues to direct his energies to civic and business endeavors as the Secretary of Commerce for the State of Oklahoma. Governor Mary Fallin appointed Lopez in February of last year to help lead the state's economic development efforts and to serve on the governor's cabinet. Lopez is a retired officer of SBC Communications (now AT&T) and he was most recently president of the American Fidelity Foundation. Before concluding a 22-year career with AT&T, Lopez held a variety of executive positions with its predecessor company in Houston, Dallas, St. Louis, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Austin. Lopez served his last six years as an officer of the corporation, including a four-year assignment as its president of Oklahoma and later as president of Texas. Lopez returned to Oklahoma in 2003 and he has served on the boards of directors for numerous non-profit organizations and corporate boards in the state. He has been honored with the Dean A. McGee Award (by Downtown Oklahoma City Inc.), the Key Contributor Award (by the Oklahoma Academy of State Goals) and induction in to Oklahoma City University's Commerce and Industry Hall of Honor. Oklahoma Christian University has presented Lopez with an honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree and he previously served as a regent of the Texas Tech University System and of Oklahoma City Community College. Lopez currently serves on the board of directors of Hall Capital and previously served on the boards of Bank of Oklahoma, American Fidelity and BancFirst. Lopez was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and received a Bachelor's and Master's degree from New Mexico State University where he was also inducted into the NMSU Athletics Hall of Fame. Lopez is married to the former Lana Blakley and they have five children and eight grandchildren.
Stephanie McGarrah, Assistant Secretary, LEAD, NC Commerce Department — Bio: Assistant Secretary for Policy, Research and Strategic Planning Stephanie McGarrah supervises the Department's market researchers and economists, the Economic Development Information System (EDIS) team, the staff of the N.C. Economic Development Board, and the Department's policy analysts. She was appointed in 2007. McGarrah previously worked at the Department of Commerce as the policy director and staff director for the N.C. Economic Development Board, and she has 10 years of public policy and market research experience. Before returning to Commerce, McGarrah served as the public policy manager at Red Hat. She holds a B.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Masters in Public Policy from Duke University.
Ian Mead, Chief of Public Affairs, Bureau of Economic Analysis — Bio: Ian Mead is Chief of the Bureau of Economic Analysis' (BEA's) Regional Product Division, overseeing the production of the GDP-by-state and GDP-by-metropolitan-area statistics and the maintenance of the Regional-Input Output Modeling System (RIMS II). Prior to assuming this position, he spent eight years as a research economist in BEA's National Economic Accounts Directorate, where his work focused on the development of new statistical measures, such as household savings rates. Ian holds a Ph.D. in economics from Boston College.
Thomas Mesenbourg, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Census Bureau — Bio: Thomas L. Mesenbourg, Jr. is the Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Census Bureau. He has day-to-day responsibility for directing all of the Census Bureau's diverse programs as well as its administrative functions. Previously, Mr. Mesenbourg served as Associate Director for Economic Programs. In 2011, he was the recipient of the Julius Shiskin Memorial award for Economic Statistics; and in 2004, he was the recipient of a Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Senior Executives, the government's highest award for career executives. He joined the Census Bureau in 1972.
Ann Miller, Director of Marketing & Research, Ada Jobs Foundation — Bio: Ann Marie Miller is the Director of Marketing and Research for the Ada Jobs Foundation, a non-profit foundation with a mission to create and retain quality jobs for the Ada area. The foundation works under contract for the City of Ada to carry out Ada's economic development program. Miller has been with the Ada Jobs Foundation since July 2005. Miller is a 2005 graduate of the William S. Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University (OSU). Miller graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing. Miller attended OSU on an Oklahoma State Regents Scholarship and completed her degree in three years. Prior to joining the Ada Jobs Foundation, Miller worked as a Marketing Assistant for the Student Union Activities Board at OSU. She developed marketing materials for over 500 annual events conducted by the Student Union Activities Board. While attending OSU, Miller also conducted research for a variety of businesses and non-profit organizations and assisted in the development of their marketing plans. Miller is a native Oklahoman and a Chickasaw Citizen. In 2008, the Oklahoma Federation of Business and Professional Women selected Miller as Oklahoma's Young Careerist 2008. In 2009, Miller graduated with Class VI of the Oklahoma Citizens Academy, which is hosted by the Oklahoma Community Institute. Miller is currently pursuing her CEcD certification and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma's Economic Development Institute. Miller is a member of the International Economic Development Council, Southern Economic Development Council, Oklahoma Economic Development Council and the Governor's Economic Development Marketing Team.
Deidre Myers, Director, Research & Economic Analysis, Oklahoma Dept of Commerce — Bio: Deidre Myers currently serves as the Director of Policy, Research and Economic Analysis at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Her team provides economic, demographic and labor data and analysis to state leadership, develops and advises on economic policy formulation, performs business intelligence, and conducts research for the Governor's Council on Workforce and Economic Development. In addition, the division houses the Oklahoma State Data Center which is the state's lead agency to the US Census Bureau. Previously, Deidre managed state economic and community development programs; directed a national project for the Corporation for National and Community Service; administered the state of Massachusetts AmeriCorps program; and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon. Deidre serves on the board of directors for the Council for Community and Economic Research, Creative Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Academy.
Thomas Nardone, Jr., Associate Commissioner for Employment and Unemployment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics — Bio: Thomas Nardone serves as Associate Commissioner for Employment and Unemployment Statistics. From 2004 until September 2011, Mr. Nardone served as Assistant Commissioner for Current Employment Analysis, where he directed four major statistical programs: the Current Population Survey (CPS), Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program, the Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program, and the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). These programs provide much of the basic information available about national, state, and local labor markets. The CPS, for example, is the source of the national unemployment rate. Mr. Nardone served as the Chief of the Division of Labor Force Statistics from 1997 to 2004 and in a variety of positions in the Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics from 1976 to 1997. Mr. Nardone holds a B.A. in economics from King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
Joel Platt, Associate Director for Regional Economics, Bureau of Economic Analysis — Bio: Joel Platt is Associate Director for Regional Economics at the Bureau of Economic Analysis. He is responsible for the production of all sub-national economic statistics including gross domestic product by state, personal income by state, county and metropolitan area, and regional economic multipliers. Prior to joining BEA, he served for 18 years in the Office of Tax Analysis (OTA), U.S. Department of the Treasury; most recently in the positions of Director for Receipts Forecasting and Director for Revenue Estimating. At OTA, he was responsible for forecasting federal government tax receipts and estimating the revenue effects of federal tax policy. Mr. Platt also served in the State of New York where he held the positions of First Deputy Director of the New York State Emergency Financial Control Board for the City of New York, Executive Director of the New York State Emergency Financial Control Board for the City of Yonkers and Director of Tax and Fiscal Studies for the New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committee. He attended the State University of New York at Albany where he received his B.A. and M.A. in Economics.
Ken Poole, Executive Director, C2ER — Bio: Dr. Kenneth E. Poole is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) and the Executive Director of the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). He also serves as the Managing Director for the Labor Market Information (LMI) Training Institute and the Chief of Staff for the Association of Public Data Users (APDU). Dr. Poole has managed economic development research, analysis, and technical assistance efforts for over 27 years. Dr. Poole co-founded CREC in January 2000 as an independent non-profit focused on assisting policy-makers with developing a stronger understanding of how regional economies can compete effectively in the evolving, knowledge-based economy. Recent CREC projects have included managing an eight-year regional analysis and strategy implementation process contract for twelve counties in western North Carolina, directing a multi-phased labor market information improvement grant for the State of Arizona, building a thirteen-county regional innovation strategy for the area bordering Texas and Oklahoma (Texoma), designing a community workforce strategy for Sarnia-Lambton in Ontario, conducting an industrial cluster analysis for a ten-county area around Fort Bragg in eastern North Carolina, and managing a 10-year national technical assistance project with the U.S. Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Under Dr. Poole's leadership, CREC has undertaken and successfully completed over twenty statewide, regional, and/or local development projects, taking CREC consultants from Hawaii to Canada, since 2008. For more information on these projects, visit the CREC website. As Director of the national nonprofit membership organization C2ER, Dr. Poole works directly with economic and community development researchers in communities, states, academia, and the private sector throughout the United States. In this capacity, he has overseen all program development activities of the organization, including its research and professional training activities. Building on his vision and leadership, C2ER and the LMI Training Institute have become national leaders in providing regional economic analysis training to researchers and analysts at the state and local level. Dr. Poole travels and speaks frequently to national and statewide audiences of policy-leaders and economic development professions on the challenges of effective, sustainable regional economic development. He has spoken at session of the International Economic Development Council, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the Southern Economic Development Council, the Mid-America Economic Development Council, the California Association for Economic Development, and statewide governor's conferences in Arizona, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Iowa. As part of his co-development of a training program for the US Economic Development Administration entitled "Know Your Region," which guided planners on how to bring economic, workforce, economic development, and education policy leaders together. He presented the course in several venues across the country and has continued to enhance that curriculum through his work in communities across North America. Before establishing CREC, Dr. Poole served six years as the Director of Domestic Economic Development for the National Association of State Development Agencies. While there, he provided technical assistance and research support to state and local economic development professionals across the United States. He developed new project opportunities in technology-based economic development, economic and policy research, and the organization of state-based economic development initiatives. Dr. Poole also served eight years as the Director of Technical Assistance and Research for the National Council for Urban Economic Development (now the International Economic Development Council), managing more the preparation of more than two dozen publications and coordinating technical assistance activities in more than forty US communities. Dr. Poole holds a Ph.D. in Regional Development Policy from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, a Masters in Public Administration from The American University in Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He serves on the editorial boards of Economic Development Quarterly and Applied Research in Economic Development as well as the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Data Users Advisory Council.
Andrew Reamer, Research Professor, GW Institute of Public Policy, George Washington University — Bio: Andrew Reamer is Research Professor at the George Washington University Institute of Public Policy. He focuses on policies that promote U.S. competitiveness — areas of interest include innovation, regional economic and workforce development, and economic statistics. Before joining GWIPP, Dr. Reamer was a Fellow at the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program and Deputy Director of its Urban Markets Initiative. He founded the Federal Data Project, which sought to improve the availability and accessibility of federal socioeconomic data for states, metropolitan areas, and cities. He also co-authored the policy brief that served as the basis for the Regional Innovation Program authorized by Congress in 2010. He currently is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at Brookings. Dr. Reamer co-founded Mt. Auburn Associates in 1984 and founded Andrew Reamer & Associates in 1995, regional economic development and public policy consulting firms. He received a Ph.D. in Economic Development and Public Policy and a Master of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Robin Roberts Krieger, Executive Vice President, Economic Development, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber — Bio: Robin Roberts Krieger is Executive Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, and leads the 10-county region in international and domestic business recruitment, and Oklahoma City in expansion and retention, research and strategy development. She oversees contracts with the City of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County to provide their economic development services. She recently played a key role in the acquisition of the idled GM facility by the County, which has been leased to the US Air Force and Tinker AFB. Roberts-Krieger is a native of Oregon, and has over 20 years of public service in the economic development and public policy arena. Prior to assuming the position in Oklahoma City, she served as a Regional Coordinator for the Oregon Governor's Office, focusing on developing cooperation between local, county, state & federal government on economic development projects. Areas of focus included Transportation, Land Use, Housing, and Environmental Issues. She spearheaded an effort to expand Ft. Clatsop National Park during her tenure. Previously she served as Director of Economic Development for the Portland Development Commission, where she oversaw Economic Development activities as well as two urban renewal areas, including light rail development to the Portland International Airport. Prior, she was Executive Director of Economic Development for Central Oregon, and International and Product Development Manager for the Oregon Tourism Commission, part of the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department. She spent several years in the private sector before entering public service. Roberts-Krieger holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Oregon State University (Go Beavers!) and a Master's of Science in Educational Administration from Portland State University. She has completed OU/EDI, and was a scholarship recipient for the Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. She is Past Chair of The International Economic Development Council, the first woman and first Oklahoman to hold this position. She served on the Board of the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC), and is a member of the Governor's Economic Development Marketing Team. Krieger is also a member of the US Air Force Chief of Staff's Civic Leader Program. She recently joined the Advisory Committee for SMART (Single Mothers Academic Resource Team), an effort to help further the educational attainment of single mothers in Oklahoma and The ACM@UCO (Academy for Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma) Business Development Center Advisory Board, as well as the United Way Campaign Cabinet. She was recently named a finalist for Woman of the Year in Oklahoma by the Journal Record and was named the Economic Developer of the Year by the Oklahoma Professional Economic Development Council. Roberts-Krieger is the co-author of "Community Wisdom", a humorous look at economic and community development; has written numerous articles and is a frequently requested speaker on economic development topics.
Chip Rogers, Director, Business Development, Dun & Bradstreet — Bio: Chip Rogers, Director of Business Development for D&B's State & Local Government Team has 20 years of experience in the Commercial Information Industry. With a combined expertise in both the B to B and the B to GOVT space, he is qualified to provide insight on using Commercial Data to Drive Economic Development Projects. Chip's background includes working on Data Migration and Integration projects for CRM and ERP Implementations and working with Global 1000 Organizations in driving Revenue by utilizing D&B Data. Chip has become an expert in the following areas of focus: Sales & Marketing Programs; Economic Development Initiatives for State & Local Governments with a focus on Retaining the Most Valuable Businesses within your Region while Bringing in the Right Businesses from Outside Your Region. Chip is well versed in Risk Based Marketing Projects and Establishing Contact Management Strategies. Chip resides in Ft Lauderdale, FL.
James Roller, Manager of Corporate Development and Government Relations, Chesapeake Energy Corporation — Bio: James Roller is a native of Oklahoma; growing up and graduating from Clinton, Oklahoma. After attending Oklahoma State University, where he obtained a degree in Agricultural Education, he taught Agricultural Education in Fairview. After two years of teaching, James worked for the farm credit and credit union system prior to being hired by Chesapeake Energy. Roller is the Manager of Corporate Development and Government Relations. His day-to-day activities include external and public relations specifically related to Chesapeake's efforts to move America towards energy independence. Roller is one of Oklahoma's foremost experts on natural gas vehicles, and as part of Chesapeake's market development team, has been crucial to the development of Oklahoma's thriving natural gas infrastructure.
Martin Romitti, Director, Economic and Public Policy Research, University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute — Bio: Marty Romitti, is Director of Economic and Public Policy Research at the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute. The Institute is the public service, outreach, and economic development unit of the UMass President's Office. This includes providing leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors with analyses of trends, economic impacts, targeted industries, housing, labor market issues, economic development efforts, and policy initiatives. Marty serves as Managing Editor of MassBenchmarks, a journal published by the university in cooperation with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and heads the Massachusetts State Data Center. He has served two previous terms on the C2ER Board of Directors and currently chairs the LMI Training Institute. Prior to joining the UMass Donahue Institute, Marty worked extensively in the legislative and executive branches of state government, including founding and directing the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. He received his master's in public administration from the University of Idaho and doctorate from the University of Missouri.
Rebecca Rust, Chief Economist, Department of Economic Opportunity — Bio: Rebecca Rust Director and Chief Economist, Labor Market Statistics Center – Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation Rebecca Rust manages the Labor Market Statistics Center in Florida with 70 staff members and a budget of $7 million. The mission is to produce, analyze, and distribute labor and census statistics to improve economic decision-making. These statistics include labor force, employment, unemployment, wage, and census data, which are produced primarily through federal/state cooperative statistical agreements with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Employment and Training Administration. Ms. Rust has served as the Director of the Labor Market Statistics Center in Florida for 21 years. Prior to that she was an Economic Analyst in Labor Market Information for 10 years and held Economist positions with the Public Service Commission, Florida TaxWatch, and the Governor's Office. She has also served as an Adjunct Professor in Labor Economics at Florida State University for over 10 years. Ms. Rust holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in economics from Florida State University. Her most recent award is the 2010 Workforce Development Professional of the Year award from the Florida Economic Development Council.
Sara Rutledge, Senior Analyst, INVESCO Real Estate — Bio: Ms. Rutledge joined Invesco in June 2005. As a Senior Research Analyst, she is primarily responsible for providing market and forecast coverage for all commercial sectors in the West region, working closely with colleagues from portfolio management, acquisitions, underwriting, and asset management to develop focused regional investment strategies. In addition to regional market coverage, Ms. Rutledge provides strategic guidance for the U.S. industrial sector. She also leads the development of research's U.S. macroeconomic outlook and works with the European and Asian research teams to fold this into a global economic outlook. She is an active member of the National Association of Business Economists and serves as co-Chair of NABE's Real Estate/Construction Roundtable. She has been a board member of the local Dallas/Fort Worth NABE chapter since 2009 and currently serves as President. Prior to joining Invesco, Ms. Rutledge was Vice President of the Transwestern Support Group at Delta Associates, covering commercial real estate and economic trends in major Central and Western U.S. markets. Ms. Rutledge has fifteen years of professional experience, including thirteen years in the commercial real estate industry and two years as a public policy and economic development researcher. In addition to her industry experience, Ms. Rutledge was an Adjunct Professor with the Institute of Applied Economics at the University of North Texas from 2008 through 2010, teaching an online research methods course. She holds a BBA in Economics and a MS in Applied Economics, both from the University of North Texas.
Yustina Saleh, Director of Analytics & Strategic Research, Burning Glass — Bio: Yustina Saleh is the Director of Analytics and Strategic Research. Prior to joining Burning Glass, she was the Director of Labor Market and Demographic Research at the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, where she oversaw the production, dissemination and analysis of state labor market information. Yustina developed one of the first real time labor demand-supply analytics in the nation designed to realign workforce investments with industry needs. These analytics resulted in a paradigm shift in workforce investment allocations methodology and are being replicated in several states. She was also a major player in several regional development and redevelopment initiatives in New Jersey, including Workforce Investment Regional Economic Development (WIRED) and Fort Monmouth Reuse and Redevelopment Plan. Yustina has significant experience in the higher education sector. She oversaw the research and policy analysis division at the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, where she conducted a number of legislatively mandated evaluations of various financial aid programs in New Jersey. She also spearheaded a research project to assess the General Education Requirement (GER) curriculum at Hunter College. Yustina holds a PhD in Political Science from Rutgers University and a BS in Economics from the American University in Cairo.
Patricia Silverstein, President, Development Research Partners — Bio: Patricia Silverstein is the president of Development Research Partners, a Jefferson County, Colorado-based real estate analysis and economic development research company founded in 1994. Ms. Silverstein's expertise is in economic research and economic development, including industry cluster studies and strategic economic development planning. She has extensive experience in preparing economic impact and fiscal impact analysis for community development purposes. In addition, she serves as the consulting chief economist for the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. In these roles, she compiles, interprets, and forecasts economic and demographic data for the Denver metropolitan area and performs in-depth research on issues and proposed developments impacting the region. Ms. Silverstein received a bachelor's degree in economics from Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska (1983) and a master's degree in economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder (1986). Ms. Silverstein is active in a number of business and professional organizations, including chair of the manufacturing committee of the University of Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum, board member of the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), and member of the Governor's Revenue Estimating Advisory Committee, the Economic Development Council of Colorado, and the Denver Association of Business Economists.
Jesse Silverstein, Executive Director, Colorado Brownfields Foundation — Bio: Jesse Silverstein is Executive Director of the nonprofit Colorado Brownfields Foundation based in Jefferson County, Colorado. Jesse has extensive experience in preparing real estate market studies, financial analysis, and fiscal impact analysis for a variety of public-private redevelopment and urban renewal projects. Mr. Silverstein's experience includes positions as partner with Development Research Partners economic consulting, Director at Equitable Real Estate Investment Management, and Chief Appraiser for the Resolution Trust Corporation (Division of FDIC) in Washington, D.C. He is past President of the Denver Association of Business Economists and has authored brownfields articles in various local and national publications. Mr. Silverstein holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Delaware, a Master's Degree in Economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and has an MAI professional designation in commercial real estate analysis from the Appraisal Institute. Appointed by Governor Ritter, Jesse serves as a member of the Colorado Petroleum Storage Tank Committee.
Eric Simundza, Product Manager, GIS Planning Inc. — Bio: Eric Simundza is a Product Manager at GIS Planning. He has worked in economic development in the service of small businesses for over 10 years. He has consulted with business improvement districts and managed multi-million dollar employment services contracts. He currently manages the national site selection website, ZoomProspector.com, as well as SizeUp.com, a free business intelligence website that launched in September at Techcrunch Disrupt, where it was one of 30 finalists out of over 1,200 applicants. Eric has a master's degree in City and Regional Planning from UC Berkeley.
Timothy Slaper, Director of Economic Analysis, Indiana Business Research Center — Bio: Dr. Slaper {slay-per} leads a research team engaged in industry and workforce analysis, economic impact studies, regional economic analyses, demographic estimates and projections, trade and foreign investment analysis, measuring innovation, measuring educational performance and researching economic growth. Over the last year, the IBRC released the report "Global Positioning" that documents Indiana's export growth over the last decade and "Capturing the Flag" a report on the state's track record for attracting foreign direct investment. The team Timothy leads also released a report on the economic impact of the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security has on the Hoosier state. The team is also looking forward to measuring the economic impact and contribution of community healthcare centers in the state of Indiana. The team also wrapped up research on green jobs in the state and developing alternative career pathways for displaced autoworkers. The project—"Driving Change"—was a part of a collaboration with the labor information office at the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and sister agencies in Michigan and Ohio. Other analysis pertaining to workforce development is the Indiana "tipping point" study. This research showed the number of college credits for which an adult student at a community college would, on average, earn higher wages than adults over 25 years of age that did not continue their education. The IBRC, in collaboration with Purdue University, also hosts the Innovation in American Regions website. In addition to providing data for measuring innovation in regions across the country, this website also presents industry and occupation cluster data at a regional level. Like the majority of IBRC work that Timothy oversees, the goal of this project is to put analytical tools and practical research into the hands of economic development practitioners to help them answer the fundamental questions underlying economic development in today's rapidly changing world. Before joining the IBRC, Timothy served as Senior Economist on the Joint Economic Committee of Congress researching topics such as the effect of high energy prices on economic output and the effectiveness of investment incentives in encouraging economic growth. He cut his economic teeth at the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Graham Slater, Administator for Workforce and Economic Research, Oregon Employment Department — Bio: Graham Slater was born, raised, and educated in England, Graham moved to the United States in 1981 after graduating from the University of Manchester with a degree in Mathematics and Management Sciences. Graham has spent the last 29 years with the Oregon Employment Department, almost exclusively with the Workforce and Economic Research Division. For the past 13 years, he's served as Administrator of that Division, which has gained national recognition from the U.S. Departments of Labor & Commerce and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies. Graham has held leadership roles in the national and Oregon employment statistics systems, including serving as co-chair of the Current Employment Statistics Policy Council and the Workforce Information Council. He has received numerous state and national awards for his contributions to economic, workforce, and career information, including the Secretary's Exceptional Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Eminent Achievement Award for State Employees from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Clark Smith, Location One Information Systems — Bio: Clark Smith has over 20 years of economic development experience. Clark began his economic development career as executive director of the Hampton Area Chamber and Development Corporation. He then joined the Iowa Department of Economic Development working as a community consultant and manager of existing industry. Most recently, Clark was the director of economic development for Aquila, Inc. - Iowa. He has worked with hundreds of companies providing site selection/expansion assistance. Clark has been President of the Professional Developers of Iowa and the Community Development Society of Iowa. Clark also manages non-profit trade associations and sells LocationOne Information System.
Alan Spell, Economic Workforce Research Manager, Dept. of Economic Development - MERIC — Bio: Alan Spell is the Research Manager for the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC). Located in the Missouri Department of Economic Development, MERIC provides innovative research and assistance to policymakers and the public, including studies of the state's economic trends, targeted industries, and labor markets. Alan's sixteen years of economic development experience includes a wide range of industry, workforce, economic impact, and site selection analyses.
Dave Talan, Branch Chief, Business Employment Dynamics, Bureau of Labor Statistics — Bio: David Talan is a Branch Chief in the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program responsible for the publication of Business Employment Dynamics (BED) data at the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. David received his Bachelors and Masters degree in economics from Bowling Green State University. He joined the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 1993 and worked in the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program and was responsible for seasonally adjusted state and area estimates. In 2000, he joined the QCEW program and continues to work on the production and development of BED data.
Mark Troppe, Manager, Strategic Partnerships, U.S. NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership — Bio: Mark is the Manager of Strategic Partnerships at the US Department of Commerce's NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program. In this role, he leads a team that is responsible for developing and nurturing MEPs relationships with other Federal agencies, Governors and state agencies, industry trade associations, and other partners. He plays an important role in MEP's collaborations with other federal, state, and private programs to provide leverage for transforming small manufacturers and aligning with state strategies. Mark has held a variety of positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. In 2009-2010, Mark was assigned to the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers. From 2000-2007, Mark worked at the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) as Director of Economic and Workforce Development where he wrote about, developed courses, and delivered training on the nature of and opportunities for effective relationships between workforce and economic development organizations. Prior jobs included Director of Training for US Web's internet hosting division, director of a nonprofit program (Kids and the Power of Work, or KAPOW) that promoted career awareness with elementary school youth. He started his career working a decade with the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration.
Tom Tveidt, Research Economist, SYNEVA Economics LLC — Bio: Mr. Tveidt is a research economist who works with businesses and communities to conduct industrial site selection, business cluster studies, industry targeting, workforce assessments, economic impact analysis, and regional economy appraisals. Tom Tveidt is president of SYNEVA Economics, a firm dedicated to revealing the truly unique economic and demographic characteristics of communities across the U.S. SYNEVA Economics is motivated by the reality that "all economics is local" and that communities can understand their own economies. Tom's projects have included economic impact analyses for major infrastructure projects, airports, industry relocations, and residential and commercial developments. He has conducted industry target and cluster evaluations for communities in Indiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Nevada, Montana, Wisconsin and North Carolina. He has conducted workforce assessments across Georgia, and Florida, site selection evaluations for food manufacturers and distribution centers, plus provided dozens of community assessments across the U.S. Tom is an invited instructor for the National Association of State Development Agencies (NASDA), the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), and the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) in Arlington, Virginia. Mr. Tveidt is the current Past Chair of C2ER. Tom has a BA in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, California, and an MBA in Finance from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California.
Mary Jo Waits, Director, Economic, Human Services, Workforce Division, National Governors Association — Bio: Mary Jo Waits is the director of the Economic, Human Services and Workforce (EHSW) Division at the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. EHSW focuses on developing innovative policy options and promoting best practices across a range of current and emerging state issues, including economic development, innovation, workforce development, and employment and social services for youth and low-income families. Prior to joining NGA, Waits was project director with the Pew Center on the States. She has held numerous positions in her native Arizona, including principal at the public policy consulting firm Mary Jo Waits and Associates LLC; associate director of the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University; and assistant director of the Governor of Arizona's Office of Policy Development and Planning. Additionally, she was senior economic policy advisor to the governor and lieutenant governor of Alaska and was a member of the Economic Development Quarterly's editorial board. As a consultant, Waits assisted several states and cities, including the City of Phoenix with its downtown strategy centered on a new Arizona State University campus and a new Biomedical complex and Greater Oklahoma City with its downtown strategy and creative talent initiative. The Arizona Board of Regents and key business leaders asked Ms. Waits to outline a "Meds and Eds" strategy so Arizona can leapfrog ahead in the innovation economy. Waits helped author such NGA reports as Investing in Innovation, Degrees for What Jobs? and New Engines of Growth: Five Roles for Arts, Culture and Design. Other reports include The New Economy: A Guide for Arizona and The New Economy: Policy Choices for Arizona. Waits was project director for the report Hits and Misses: Fast Growth in Metropolitan Phoenix and principal author of Five Shoes Waiting to Drop on Arizona's Future, the fourth publication in the Morrison Institute's Arizona Policy Choices report series. Her articles have been published in Public Administration Review, Economic Development Quarterly and Economic Development Commentary.
Matthew Waldo, Vice President, Research & Analysis, Thomas P. Miller & Associates — Bio: Matt Waldo is Vice President of Research and Analysis for Thomas P. Miller and Associates. To date, he has helped to obtain projects for the Indianapolis region creating more than 30,000 new jobs, and more than $1.5 billion in capital investment. During Matt's tenure at Indy Partnership, the organization has received the following awards for projects which he has led or contributed: "Top Ten Economic Development Group" twice from Site Selection magazine, "Best Web Site" and "Best E-Newsletter" from the International Economic Development Council, "Best Research Project Supporting Business Development" twice from C2ER. Matt is the founding member of the C2ER Regional Roundtable — a geographically diverse group of multi-county economic and workforce development research practitioners. Matt is an Associate Professor at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, where he currently teaches a combined graduate and undergraduate course in sustainable development. Previously, Matt led labor research at Ivy Tech, managed incentive programs at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and worked in private consulting. Matt completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in public policy analysis and public finance, with distinction, at Indiana University. Matt also holds a graduate certificate in Environmental Studies from Indiana University.
Joe Ward, Analyst, South Carolina Department of Employment & Workforce — Bio: Joe Ward has been working on labor market analysis in South Carolina for over 30 years (he either likes what he is doing or is a slow learner). Currently he works with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce; previously he was with the S.C. Employment Security Commission. He has worked to support workforce and economic development across South Carolina through data development and analyses on various aspects of worker supply and demand including skills and worker flow. He developed S.C.'s first comprehensive surveys of wages, job vacancies and consumer confidence; initiated the state's employment tracking system; directed the national Labor Market Information Training Institute for several years; and led the state's recent green jobs project. Formal education includes a B.A. from Clemson and MPA from Penn State; informal education includes over 30 years in government (jumping through regulatory hoops, navigating bureaucratic mazes, etc.). In addition to the C2ER board, Joe is a member of the Local Employment Dynamics Steering Committee and Analyst Resource Center consortium. And, he is husband to Cindy (a fantastic four-year-old kindergarten teacher) and father to Ben (an economics Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt) and Grayson (a senior in Packaging Science at Clemson; interesting fact about packaging science students—they all get jobs!).
Greg Weeks, Brandt Information Services — Bio: Greg Weeks is the Labor Market Research Director at Brandt Information Services, Inc. He serves as project director and lead economist on several projects including labor market analyses for local workforce boards and state agencies. Greg Weeks also works with Brandt economists and IT staff to develop dashboard displays and web sites that feature local labor market information. Dr. Weeks has over 25 years of labor market analysis experience which includes 11 years as the LMI Director for Washington state. In that capacity, he managed complex labor market information data collection, analysis and dissemination efforts. Dr. Weeks is the recipient of the 2009 Vladimir Chavrid Memorial Award from the National Association of State Workforce Agencies for sustained and significant contributions to the national labor market information system. Greg Weeks was an economics professor at The Evergreen State College for 17 years. His research interests included program evaluation, welfare policy, event history analysis, and low-wage labor markets. From 1987 to 1992, he directed the Family Income Study, a large longitudinal survey of Washington's welfare population. He has a PhD in economics from Washington State University, and received his undergraduate degree in economics from Iowa State University.
Mark White, Vice President, Research, C2ER — Bio: Dr. Mark White serves as Vice President for Research at the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) and its sister affiliate, the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). He joined CREC in September 2004 to manage research and technical assistance and has since overseen over two dozen economic and workforce development projects across the United States. Within the State of North Carolina alone, Dr. White has managed to completion: a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the Isothermal Planning and Development Commission in Western North Carolina; a Visioning Plan for North Carolina's Eastern Region Partnership; and the implementation of a CEDS focused around Hickory, North Carolina. He has helped to develop workforce strategies for the Durham Workforce Development Board and the Future Forward Workforce Alliance of Western North Carolina. Currently, he is working on an update of a statewide workforce analysis for the North Carolina Workforce Commission. Throughout the US and Canada, Dr. White has supported economic and workforce development efforts for CREC. In Iowa's Cedar Valley, he assisted with planning efforts for the Regional Innovation Grants. He has led a labor market opportunities study for the Nashville Economic Market Area, and developed a workforce development plan for Sarnia-Lambton County in Ontario, Canada. He has worked with the Texoma Regional Consortium to update its strategic plan and has provided research and planning assistance for Georgia's Work Ready Regions initiative, a program run directly through the Governor's Office of Workforce Development. Dr. White has assembled an innovation index for the Hampton Roads area in Southeastern Virginia and assisted Detroit policy-makers in developing a framework for analyzing and developing their region's life science sector. Dr. White's work extends beyond CREC, however, as he is also actively engaged with C2ER and the LMI Training Institute. He has designed and delivered a three-day advanced analyst training seminar for LMI professionals in Portland, Oregon, and was involved in another two-day training seminar about green jobs delivered to the Iowa Workforce Development staff. He is an active trainer for professional development seminars organized by C2ER. Prior to joining CREC, Dr. White completed his post-doctoral research fellow at the National University of Ireland's Centre for Innovation and Structural Change (CISC) in Galway on investments in traded services. While there, he conducted qualitative and quantitative research to assess the regional development consequences of foreign direct investment, particularly as related to investment in internationally-traded services. This research was published in peer-reviewed journals in the field of regional development and economic geography such as Environment and Planning A, European Urban and Regional Studies and European Planning Studies. He has served as an instructor in World Geography and as a GIS/ Cartographer at the University of Miami (FL). Dr. White earned his Ph.D. in International Studies with a focus on economic development from the University of Miami (FL), his M.A. in Geography from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, and his B.A. in Geography at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.
Jennifer Zeller, CCR, Director of Research, Community & Economic Development, Georgia Power — Bio: Jennifer Zeller has 15 years of experience in economic development and is currently the director of research for community and economic development at Georgia Power. As head of the research department, Zeller is responsible for producing and publishing a wide range of documents and marketing materials that support the company's community and economic development efforts to recruit companies and jobs to Georgia. In 2006, Zeller earned her certificate as a "Certified Community Researcher" (CCR) by the country's top community research council in applied economic research. Only 20 other people in North America hold this designation, which is given by the Council for Community & Economic Research (C2ER). She has been quoted in many national, regional and international papers including The Boston Globe, USA Today, The Nikkei(Japan's leading financial paper), Atlanta Business Chronicle and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Additionally, her work partnership with Impresa Consulting on the "young and restless". The 25-to-34 year old college educated population was featured on the front of the New York Times in 2007. Prior to joining Georgia Power in 2007, Zeller served as Vice President of Research at the Metro Atlanta Chamber for more than ten years, where she published more than 30 publications annually on metro Atlanta. She began her career in economic development at the Lee County, FL Office of Economic Development working in research. Zeller is on board of C2ER, and the Atlanta Economics club and is a member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association, National Association of Business Economics (NABE), Georgia Biomedical Partnership and Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). She is the 2003 winner of the Atlanta Economic Club Forecasting Contest, where she was the closest in forecasting metro, state and national metrics. Zeller has a certificate from Georgia Tech in economic development and web design and holds a BA degree with concentration in Economics and Political Science from Florida State University. Originally from Toronto, she resides in the City of Atlanta with her husband and two children—Reid and Morgan.
Samantha Zyontz, Research Manager, Institute for Strategy & Competitiveness, Harvard Business School — Bio: Samantha Zyontz is currently a Research Manager for the Institute of Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School. There she is managing the U.S. Cluster Mapping Project, led by Professor Michael Porter and sponsored by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Ms. Zyontz was previously a Senior Research Associate for the Searle Civil Justice Institute at George Mason University School of Law and a Research Associate for the Searle Center on Law, Regulation, and Economic Growth at Northwestern University School of Law. In both positions she managed several policy focused, large-scale empirical projects on a range of topics related to patents, arbitration, and consumer protection. She also spent seven years working in intellectual property litigation and valuation consulting for PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP and Navigant Consulting, Inc. Ms. Zyontz received a M.S. in Managerial Economics and Strategy from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the College of William & Mary in Virginia with a B.A. in economics and a minor in business marketing.