Fed President Musalem, Jebaraj to Discuss 2026 Outlook at Business Forecast Luncheon

Alberto Musalem, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, will deliver the keynote address at the 32nd annual Business Forecast Luncheon on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.

The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Rogers Convention Center in the World Trade Center District in Rogers. The Business Forecast Luncheon is coordinated by the Center for Business and Economic Research within the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the U of A.

"The region's business and community leader get the opportunity to hear from prominent economists about the path of the economy in the face of so much uncertainty. The state and the region can use that information to make their organizations stronger," said Mervin Jebaraj, director of the center. "I am grateful that President Alberto Musalem, a voting member of the Federal Reserve's interest rate setting committee, is keynoting our gathering this year."

The 32nd annual Business Forecast Luncheon will feature the following speakers:

Keynote Speaker: Alberto G. Musalem is the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, one of the 12 regional Reserve banks in the Federal Reserve System. He began serving in the role April 2, 2024. In this capacity, he participates on the Federal Open Market Committee, which meets at least eight times each year to set the direction of U.S. monetary policy. He also oversees the activities of the Eighth Federal Reserve District at its St. Louis headquarters and branches in Little Rock; Louisville, Kentucky; and Memphis, Tennessee. These activities include economic research, fiscal agent responsibilities for the U.S. Treasury, supervision of district financial institutions, community development, and regional payments, transparency, technology and support functions. Musalem is an economist and executive with public and private sector experience in economic policy, finance and markets.

State and Regional Speaker: Jebaraj is the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the U of A. He has been instrumental in creating and executing economic studies for clients such as the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Northwest Arkansas Council, the Walton Family Foundation, Arvest Bank, the U of A and many others. His work is regularly noted by the state's business media. Arkansas Business and the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal recognized Jebaraj in their 40 Under 40 lists and on the Arkansas 250 list. He is an exceptional source of business and economics-related expertise whom journalists and business professionals alike rely on to understand how national and regional issues impact Northwest Arkansas and Arkansas as a whole. He makes presentations that share the center's expertise directly to over 5,000 individuals annually, and tens of thousands more hear and see his economic analysis and commentary through television, radio and print media. Jebaraj serves on several local and national boards.

Moderator: Matuschka Lindo Briggs is senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. In this role, she supports the bank's mission of promoting a healthy economy, financial stability and community development by building durable, two-way relationships with business and community leaders across Arkansas to help the St. Louis Fed gain a real-time, on-the-ground understanding of economic conditions on all corners of Main Street. Lindo Briggs has held key leadership roles at the St. Louis Fed in community development, public affairs and supporting the bank's fiscal agent responsibilities for the U.S. Treasury. She is recognized for advancing economic equity and financial capability through strategic programs and partnerships, leveraging her expertise as a skilled communicator and influencer. Prior to joining the Fed, she worked as a journalist and media host. She serves on multiple nonprofit boards. Lindo Briggs holds an M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis.  

Current Sponsors

Presenting Partners

• Signature Bank

• Walmart and Sam's Club

Academic Partners

• Cushman & Wakefield | Sage Partners

• Deveraux Real Estate Investments

• Drake Farms LLC

• Greenwood Gearhart Inc.

• Simmons Foods, Inc, & Affiliates

• Smith Hurst & PLC/Emeraude

Corporate Partners

• Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield

• Conner & Winters, LLP

• First Horizon Bank

• Kutak Rock

• Ozarks Electric/Ozarks GO

• Wright, Lindsey & Jennings LLP

• The Alternative Board NWA

Business Partners

• Academy Bank

• Bank of America and Merril Lynch

• BUF Studio

• Centennial Bank

• Encore Bank

• Entergy

• Focus Commercial Real Estate

• HoganTaylor LLP

• Intrust Bank

• Landmark CPAs

• Lindsey Management Company, Inc.

• Nabholz Construction Services

• Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC

• Regions Bank

• Rose Law Firm

• Simmons Bank

For more information on sponsorships or securing a reservation for the 2026 Business Forecast Luncheon, please contact CBER at 479-575-4151 or cber@walton.uark.edu. To register online, visit the Business Forecast Luncheon website.

About the Center for Business and Economic Research: CBER 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, and timely, relevant business, economic and related public policy information, as well as 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 actively works with the economic development community of the state to build Arkansas' capacity to create high-wage, high-skill employment.

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business stands as one of the largest colleges at the University of Arkansas, serving over 10,300 students across undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs. The college holds AACSB accreditation and consistently ranks among the top business schools in the United States. Walton College ranks 25th for its undergraduate business program among public colleges in the U.S. News & World Report's 2025 national rankings. Its undergraduate supply chain management program is recognized as the top program in North America by Gartner. In 2025, The Princeton Review included Walton's M.B.A. program in its Best Business Schools list for On-Campus M.B.A. Programs.