August 2013

An Economic Reality Check!

Date: Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Time: 8 – 11:50 a.m.

Location: Speakers Auditorium, GSU Student University Center | Directions »

Price: $200

Speakers

  • Rajeev Dhawan, director and professor, Economic Forecasting Center, Georgia State University
  • Jack Kleinhenz, principal and chief economist, Kleinhenz & Associates
  • Don Rissmiller, partners, chief economist, Strategas Research Partners
  • Esmael Adibi, director, A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research, Chapman University

Conference Program

8 a.m. Registration & Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Words of Welcome Irene Duhaime
senior associate dean
professor of Managerial Sciences
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
Georgia State University
8:35 a.m

What’s ahead for Retail Sales?


The consumer has been a key driver in this recovery that continues to muddle along. Consumers continue to show an ongoing resiliency in light of uncertainty. Will they still be resilient by early fall when the full impact of soft personal income growth, higher payroll taxes and the full effects of fiscal drag are felt? The housing recovery has been an important variable in consumer’s willingness to spend along with the recent trend in low inflation. Housing prices tend to move closely with consumer spending, almost directly impacting the retail industry. How are the retailers reacting to these pushes and pulls of the economy? The talk will focus on these and other questions that determine the evolution of retail sales in this “new” normal.		 Jack Kleinhenz
principal and chief economist
Kleinhenz & Associates
9 a.m.

Economic Highlights: Growth & Profits


Don’s talk will focus on economic growth, with an eye on what it implies for profits at this stage of the business cycle. While certain parts of the global economy have seen recessions in 2012 (e.g., Japan, the U.K., the euro-area), the U.S. and China economies did not. As such, there looks to be pent-up demand in the U.S., particularly in the areas of capex and housing. State and local governments are also in better shape, and the federal budget deficit is improving. The remaining question is whether this pent-up demand translates into a sustainable expansion. That is where questions about profit growth and economic productivity come into play.		 Don Rissmiller
partner, chief economist
Strategas Research Partners
9:25 a.m.

California Economic Recovery: A Reality Check

2012 marks the first year since the beginning of the 2007 recession that the pace of job creation in California surpassed the U.S. Improving economy and the passage of Proposition 30 (higher sales and income taxes) have brightened the state budget outlook. In addition, home price appreciation is hitting double-digit increases, and that along with a pickup in construction activity is fueling the recovery.

  • Is there a real reason to feel optimistic?
  • Will the pace of job creation pick up steam?
  • Will increasing tax revenue save California’s long-run budgetary problems?
  • Is another housing bubble in offing?
 Esmael Adibi
director
A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research
Chapman University
9:50 a.m. Q & A
10:05 a.m. Refreshments Break
10:30 a.m. Forecast of the Nation, State and Region Rajeev Dhawan
director and professor
Economic Forecasting Center
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
Georgia State University
11:40 a.m. Q & A Conclusion
11:50 a.m. Light Lunch & Networking

Industry Speakers

Jack Kleinhenz

principal and chief economist

Kleinhenz & Associates

Jack Kleinhenz

Jack Kleinhenz, Ph.D., is principal and chief economist of Kleinhenz & Associates, an economic, financial consulting and wealth management firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and he is an adjunct professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management. He also serves as chief economist for the National Retail Federation headquartered in Washington, D.C. Formerly with the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, Jack also served as chief economist and planning officer at the Greater Cleveland Growth Association, the nation’s largest chamber of commerce.

As a professional economist with more than 30 years of broad-based experience working with Fortune 500 companies, banking firms, regulators, planners, universities, airports, manufacturers, chambers of commerce, trade associations, non-profit organizations, and state and local government agencies, Jack is known for translating economics and information into clear explanations and action. A frequent speaker on business and regional economic issues, Jack is regularly called upon for his expertise by the local, national and international media.

Jack is the current vice president of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE). In 2008, Jack was awarded the title of fellow by the National Association for Business Economists. A former NABE board member, he is the most recent chairman of the NABE Education Foundation. He currently chairs NABE’s education committee, serves as a member of NABE’s statistics committee that meets with policymakers and administrators of U.S statistical agencies, and participates as a NABE Economic outlook panelist.

A contributing economic forecaster to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Jack has been recognized by the Chicago Federal Reserve for forecasting excellence. He is a member of the 45-member National Business Economic Issues Council, which meets quarterly to discuss issues of state, national and international interest.

Jack is a member of the Governor of Ohio’s Council of Economic Advisors and the Northeast Ohio Council of Economic Policy Advisors. He is a corporate director for Beverage Distributors, Inc. He serves on the investment committee of Alpha Sigma Nu, Inc., the Honor Society of Jesuit Institutions of Higher Education and is a former trustee of Notre Dame College. In 1995, Jack was named one of John Carroll University’s Top 50 School of Business Graduates. Previous faculty appointments include the University of Notre Dame and John Carroll University. A graduate of John Carroll University, Jack earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame.
Don Rissmiller

partner, chief economist

Strategas Research Partners

Don Rissmiller

 Mr. Rissmiller is a founding Partner of Strategas and has been the firm’s chief economist since 2006, directing its macroeconomic research effort. He oversees Strategas’ high-frequency econometric forecasting and thematic economic research. Mr. Rissmiller’s research has been consistently recognized by Institutional Investor magazine in its annual survey: he was ranked best up-and-coming economist in 2008, and was third in its 2009 All-America Independent Research Team survey. He is frequently quoted in the financial press. Prior to co-founding Strategas in 2006, Mr. Rissmiller was an economist and managing director at International Strategy & Investment (ISI) Group. Before joining ISI, he worked as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where he focused on the analysis of U.S. macroeconomic data and price/wage forecasting models. Mr. Rissmiller earned his bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in economics from Harvard.
Esmael Adibi

director

A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research

Chapman Unviersity

Esmael Adibi

 Esmael Adibi, director of the A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research and Anderson Chair of Economic Analysis at Chapman University, received his doctorate degree in Economics from Claremont Graduate University.

His research interests include macroeconomics, financial markets, and regional economics. Dr. Adibi has co-authored two textbooks, Econometric Analysis – An Applications Approach and The Practice of Econometrics with EViews. His articles have been published in newspapers including The Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register, as well as professional journals such as International Advances in Economic Research, the Journal of Private Enterprise, and the Quarterly Journal of Business and Economics.

Dr. Adibi is past president of the Association for University Business and Economic Research. He is a member of the NABE Outlook Survey Panel and Western Blue Chip Economic Forecast Panel. He serves on the board of directors of SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, and is a member of California Controller’s Council of Economic Advisors.