Newswise — Mark W. Olson, member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, will be the keynote speaker at this year's Economic Outlook Conference at Middle Tennessee State University, which will be held Friday, Sept. 16, in the James Union Building's Tennessee Room.
Event sponsors are the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, Weatherford Chair of Finance, and the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC). The conference, which is free of charge, is especially targeted to bankers, business owners and managers, community officials and leaders, business and economics faculty and students, and others interested in the future growth of the mid-state region.
Governor Olson, who will speak at 9:00, took office in December of 2001 to fill an unexpired term which ends Jan. 31, 2010. Before becoming a member of the board, he served as staff director of the Securities Subcommittee of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, U.S. Senate (2000-01). During his tenure the subcommittee held oversight hearings on key sections of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
Olson began his banking career in 1966 with First Bank System (now U.S. Bancorp) and was named an officer in 1969. He served with former Congressman Bill Frenzel, R-Minn., as legislative assistant for banking issues (1971-72) and as director of his Minnesota District office (1974-76). In 1986, Olson, at age 43, became the youngest person ever elected as President of the American Bankers Association. From 1988 to 1999, he served as a partner with Ernst & Young LLP and its predecessor, Arthur Young & Company.
At 10:30, Dr. David Penn, BERC director, will provide a mid-state/regional economic update. At 11:15, Dr. Jim Burton, business dean, will present the annual Jennings A. Jones Champion of Free Enterprise Award to a business leader who exemplifies the ideals of free enterprise through any combination of entrepreneurship, governmental involvement, participation in civic and charitable affairs, and education.
Joining the rostrum for the luncheon address will be perennial favorite Dr. Donald Ratajczak, Regent's Professor of Economics Emeritus at Georgia State University and nationally known economic forecaster. Ratajczak served as director of the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University for 27 years. In 1994, he received the Blue Chip award for forecasting accuracy during the four previous years. He appears regularly on CNBC and writes a weekly column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"The Economic Outlook Conference has become an MTSU tradition because it delivers what it promises—substance, expertise, and an opportunity for business and industry professionals to share common concerns," Burton commented.
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