Panel to Address International, National, Regional Economies at 2014 Business Forecast Luncheon

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Regional, national and international experts will discuss the economic outlook for Arkansas, the nation and the world at the 20^th annual Business Forecast luncheon.

The event, coordinated by the Center for Business and Economic Research at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, , at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in the World Trade Center District in Rogers.

The panelists are:

• Moderator: Donnie Smith, chief executive officer and president, Tyson Foods Inc.
• International Forecaster: Yi Wen, assistant vice president, St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank
• Domestic Forecaster: Richard Yamarone, chief economist, Bloomberg Brief
• State and Local Forecaster: Kathy Deck, director, Center for Business and Economic Research

“The chance to listen to this panel of nationally recognized experts share their knowledge and expertise about the trends in the regional, national and global economies for the coming year will provide tremendous value to business and civic leaders from Northwest Arkansas, the state and the region,” Walton College Dean Eli Jones said. Jones acknowledged the continued strong support of sponsors for the Business Forecast. “Their generosity enables students to participate in this event who otherwise would not have the opportunity to attend,” he said.

“For the 20th consecutive year, the Business Forecast luncheon is bringing in top economists and forecasters to present their insights about the economy in the coming year,” Deck said. “We are excited to bring such highly regarded speakers to Northwest Arkansas who can provide expert insight, data and analysis. We know that many of those who attend the Business Forecast luncheon rely on the information they receive there to make their organizations more effective.”

The sponsors to date for the 2013 Business Forecast luncheon include:  

• Walton Presenting Partner – Walmart/Sam’s Club
• Walton Academic Partners – Center for Retailing Excellence; Greenwood Gearhart Inc.; Talk Business Arkansas; Tyson Foods, Inc.
• Walton Corporate Partners – Smith Hurst PLC
• Walton Business Partners – AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company; Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/AIA; City of Fort Smith; Friday, Eldredge and Clark; Jodi and Dan Grubb; Hogan Taylor LLP; McKee Foods; Regions Bank; City of West Memphis; Wright, Lindsey & Jennings, LLP

Donnie Smith has been chief executive officer and president of Tyson Foods Inc. since November 2009. Previously, Smith had served as senior group vice president of poultry and prepared foods at Tyson since January 2009. Also at Tyson, he served as group vice president-consumer products and was group vice president-logistics and operations services. He also had served as chief information officer, group vice president-information systems purchasing and distribution and senior vice president of Tyson since 2006. Before that, Smith served as senior vice president-Project Won. In 1999, Smith was executive vice president of supply chain management after serving as vice president of purchasing since 1995 and director of commodity purchasing since 1992. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Animal Science.

Yi Wen is an assistant vice president in the research department at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. He joined the bank in 2005. Prior to working at the Federal Reserve, he was an assistant professor of economics at Cornell University and an assistant professor of economics at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. He earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Iowa; his M.A. in philosophy of science from Notre Dame University and a B.S. in medical sciences from West China University of Medical Sciences. Since 2005, he has been an adjunct professor at Washington University in St. Louis. He is the author of nearly 30 articles published in peer-reviewed journals.

Richard Yamarone focuses on monetary and fiscal policy, economic indicators, fixed income, commodities and general macroeconomic conditions for Bloomberg Brief: Economics. He created the Bloomberg Orange Book, forecasts U.S. economic statistics and trends, builds macroeconometric models and analyzes possible outcomes. Previously, Yamarone was director of economic research at Argus Research and a member of the firm's investment policy committee. In addition, Yamarone has held senior positions for several international and domestic money center and investment banks and served as president of the Downtown Economists Club of New York City. The author of Trader’s Guide to Key Economic Indicators (Bloomberg Press, 2012), Yamarone is a member of the National Association for Business Economists, the American Economic Association, the New York State Economics Association and the Money Marketeers of New York University. He was featured as one of the top 10 economists in the United States by USA Today in 2007 and as “Nostradamus of the Financial Industry” by Bank Advisor in 2008 for his prediction of the financial crisis.

Kathy Deck is director of the Center for Business and Economic Research in the Walton College at the University of Arkansas. Her research interests include local economic development, industry market structure, and education and health care economics. In providing applied economic research as part of the outreach mission of the center, Deck has managed studies for a wide variety of business, non-profit and governmental organizations in the state of Arkansas. Deck also acts as a media resource for economic analysis of current events and trends. Deck earned a B.A. in economics from the College of William and Mary and an M.S. in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before joining the Center for Business and Economic Research, Deck was the antitrust economist for the Arizona Attorney General.

The Walton College Center for Business and Economic Research is a public service/outreach organization whose mission is to serve its constituents with the highest quality research support; basic and applied business and economic analysis; timely, relevant business, economic and related public policy information; and other outreach activities. In addition to supporting research within the college, the center supports economic development by providing economic and demographic data and analysis to business, government and individuals. The center also actively works with the economic development community of the state to build Arkansas’ capacity to create high-wage, high-skill employment.

Registration forms are being mailed this week. For more information on sponsorships or reservations for Business Forecast 2014, contact the Center for Business and Economic Research, Sam M. Walton College of Business, Willard J. Walker Hall 538, 1 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, 479-575-4151, fax 479-575-7687, or e-mail: cber@walton.uark.edu. To register online, visit the Business Forecast website.