May 2019 Industry Speakers - Georgia State Economic Forecasting Center

William A. Strauss Senior Economist and Economic Advisor Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago		William A. Strauss is a Senior Economist and Economic Advisor in the Economic Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, which he joined in 1982. His chief responsibilities include analyzing the current performance of both the Midwest economy and the manufacturing sector for use in monetary policy. He organizes the Bank's Economic Outlook Symposium and Automotive Outlook Symposium. In addition, he conducts industrial and manufacturing roundtables throughout the year.Mr. Strauss earned a B.A. in economics and geography from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and an M.A. in economics from Northwestern University. Mr. Strauss is a Certified Business Economist™ (CBE), the certification in business economics and data analytics developed by the National Association for Business Economics. It documents a professional’s accomplishment, experience, abilities, and demonstrates mastery of the body of knowledge critical for a successful career in the field of economics and data analytics. He has taught as an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University Chicago and Webster University in Chicago. He currently teaches at DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, and at the University of Chicago Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies. At the latter institution, he was named winner of the 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award in the Business and Professional Programs. He was recognized by the University at Buffalo as a Distinguished Alumni in 2012. Strauss was named a Fellow of the National Association for Business Economics in 2017. His research papers include analysis of the manufacturing sector, the automotive sector, the Midwest regional economy, the trade-weighted dollar, business cycles, and Federal Reserve payments operations. Mr. Strauss has been interviewed on numerous television and radio shows and quoted in the major business magazines and newspapers. He has also provided testimony concerning manufacturing issues to the U.S. Senate. He is a past president of the Chicago Association of Business Economists; a past board member for the National Association for Business Economics; a member of the National Business Economics Issues Council; a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the University at Buffalo; a member of the Advisory Board for the Center of Excellence on Human Capital, Technology Transfer, & Economic Growth and Development, a member of the Advisory Council for the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Center for Economic Education; a member of the Economic Advisory Committee for the Council on Competitiveness; an advisory council member of the Global Interdependence Center; and a member of the Council of Great Lakes Governors Maritime Advisory Committee.
Lester Jones Chief Economist National Beer Wholesalers Association		Lester Jones serves as the Chief Economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association, a national trade organization that represents the interests of more than 3,000 licensed beer distributors that service every state. He has more than 20 years of experience in research, survey methodology and applied business economics. He most recently served as Chief Economist at the Beer Institute, where he developed and executed significant research America’s beer industry. He also has become a recognized public speaker, offering in-depth technical, analytical and quantitative expertise.As NBWA Chief Economist, Jones tracks the economic factors that impact the beer distribution industry and alcohol policy decisions at the federal, state and local levels. He evaluates and develops primary industry data, including economic impact, tax impacts, sales and volume data. In addition to his decade of work at the Beer Institute, Jones previously worked for Arbitron Company (Nielsen) in Columbia, Maryland, and the Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson State University in Maryland. Jones has a Master of Science in Economics from the University of Delaware and is a Certified Business Economist.
Kevin L. Kliesen Business Economist & Research Officer Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis		Kevin L. Kliesen is a business economist and Bank Officer in the Research Division at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. He joined the Bank in 1988. He holds an M.A. in Economics from Colorado State University. In his position as a business economist, he analyzes current U.S. macroeconomic and financial market developments and trends for the Bank president and staff economists prior to each Federal Open Market Committee meeting. He also reports on and analyzes economic conditions in the seven states of the Eighth Federal Reserve District. Another important aspect of this position involves speaking to the general public and professional groups about U.S. and Eighth District economic developments. He has written and published extensively and was instrumental in the development of the St. Louis Fed’s Financial Stress Index, the St. Louis Fed’s Price Pressures Measure, and the St. Louis Fed’s Economic News Index. In addition to his responsibilities at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, he taught part-time for the Department of Economics at Washington University from 2006 to 2013. Professionally, he is a member of the American Economic Association, the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), and the Association of Christian Economists. In September 2011, he was recognized as a NABE Fellow, one of the organization’s highest honors. In October 2015, he was designated as a Certified Business Economist by the NABE.

William A. Strauss
Senior Economist and Economic Advisor
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

William A. Strauss is a Senior Economist and Economic Advisor in the Economic Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, which he joined in 1982. His chief responsibilities include analyzing the current performance of both the Midwest economy and the manufacturing sector for use in monetary policy. He organizes the Bank's Economic Outlook Symposium and Automotive Outlook Symposium. In addition, he conducts industrial and manufacturing roundtables throughout the year.Mr. Strauss earned a B.A. in economics and geography from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and an M.A. in economics from Northwestern University. Mr. Strauss is a Certified Business Economist™ (CBE), the certification in business economics and data analytics developed by the National Association for Business Economics. It documents a professional’s accomplishment, experience, abilities, and demonstrates mastery of the body of knowledge critical for a successful career in the field of economics and data analytics.

He has taught as an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University Chicago and Webster University in Chicago. He currently teaches at DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, and at the University of Chicago Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies. At the latter institution, he was named winner of the 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award in the Business and Professional Programs. He was recognized by the University at Buffalo as a Distinguished Alumni in 2012. Strauss was named a Fellow of the National Association for Business Economics in 2017.

His research papers include analysis of the manufacturing sector, the automotive sector, the Midwest regional economy, the trade-weighted dollar, business cycles, and Federal Reserve payments operations.

Mr. Strauss has been interviewed on numerous television and radio shows and quoted in the major business magazines and newspapers. He has also provided testimony concerning manufacturing issues to the U.S. Senate.

He is a past president of the Chicago Association of Business Economists; a past board member for the National Association for Business Economics; a member of the National Business Economics Issues Council; a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the University at Buffalo; a member of the Advisory Board for the Center of Excellence on Human Capital, Technology Transfer, & Economic Growth and Development, a member of the Advisory Council for the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Center for Economic Education; a member of the Economic Advisory Committee for the Council on Competitiveness; an advisory council member of the Global Interdependence Center; and a member of the Council of Great Lakes Governors Maritime Advisory Committee.

Lester Jones
Chief Economist
National Beer Wholesalers Association

Lester Jones serves as the Chief Economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association, a national trade organization that represents the interests of more than 3,000 licensed beer distributors that service every state. He has more than 20 years of experience in research, survey methodology and applied business economics. He most recently served as Chief Economist at the Beer Institute, where he developed and executed significant research America’s beer industry. He also has become a recognized public speaker, offering in-depth technical, analytical and quantitative expertise.As NBWA Chief Economist, Jones tracks the economic factors that impact the beer distribution industry and alcohol policy decisions at the federal, state and local levels. He evaluates and develops primary industry data, including economic impact, tax impacts, sales and volume data. In addition to his decade of work at the Beer Institute, Jones previously worked for Arbitron Company (Nielsen) in Columbia, Maryland, and the Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson State University in Maryland. Jones has a Master of Science in Economics from the University of Delaware and is a Certified Business Economist.

Kevin L. Kliesen
Business Economist & Research Officer
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Kevin L. Kliesen is a business economist and Bank Officer in the Research Division at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. He joined the Bank in 1988. He holds an M.A. in Economics from Colorado State University.

In his position as a business economist, he analyzes current U.S. macroeconomic and financial market developments and trends for the Bank president and staff economists prior to each Federal Open Market Committee meeting. He also reports on and analyzes economic conditions in the seven states of the Eighth Federal Reserve District. Another important aspect of this position involves speaking to the general public and professional groups about U.S. and Eighth District economic developments. He has written and published extensively and was instrumental in the development of the St. Louis Fed’s Financial Stress Index, the St. Louis Fed’s Price Pressures Measure, and the St. Louis Fed’s Economic News Index.

In addition to his responsibilities at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, he taught part-time for the Department of Economics at Washington University from 2006 to 2013. Professionally, he is a member of the American Economic Association, the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), and the Association of Christian Economists. In September 2011, he was recognized as a NABE Fellow, one of the organization’s highest honors. In October 2015, he was designated as a Certified Business Economist by the NABE.

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