The Atlanta Economics Club meets for a luncheon each month from September through May, typically at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The meetings begin at 11:30am and end at 1:00pm. There is a speaker presentation at each meeting, as well as ample time for networking.
2018 - 2019 Speaker Line Up
Topic:
Innovations in the Energy Sector
Brief Bio:
Thomas A. (Tom) Fanning is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Southern Company, America’s premier energy company. He has worked for Southern Company for more than 35 years and has held 15 different positions in eight different business units.
Fanning serves on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, where he is the immediate past chairman. He is on the advisory board of the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, the board of trustees of the Georgia Tech Foundation, the board of directors of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and the regional governing board of the World Association of Nuclear Operators’ Atlanta Centre. Fanning also serves on the board of directors of Vulcan Materials Company and is a member of the Business Roundtable.
Fanning earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial management and also was awarded an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree from Georgia Tech. His executive education includes programs at the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, Harvard Business School and the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
Topic:
Brokering Trust — Credit Reporting and the Credit Economy
Brief Bio:
Amy Crews Cutts joined Equifax as Chief Economist in March, 2011. A recognized industry expert, Cutts brings to her role over 25 years of economic analysis and policy development experience. As Equifax Chief Economist, she is responsible for analytics and research relating to the consumer wallet – assets, income, credit, and spending along with macroeconomic factors affecting the consumer. She is also responsible for macroeconomic forecasting and the economic analysis of employment and wage trends, home equity and real property, and small business credit trends.
Often quoted in national print and broadcast media, Cutts has also published numerous studies in academic journals and books on such topics as the economics of subprime lending, the impact of technology on foreclosure prevention, and drivers of strategic mortgage default. In 2015 she won the Pulsenomics® Crystal Ball Award for Outstanding Performance in The Zillow® Home Price Expectations Survey for her forecast accuracy and is a participant in the Wall Street Journal’s Monthly Survey of Leading Economists.
Cutts holds a Master’s and PhD in Economics from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. In 2015, she became a Certified Business Economist™, a distinction of professional achievement from the National Association for Business Economics.
Topic:
The consumer retail industry outlook
Brief Bio:
Jordan Broggi is Vice President of Finance for The Home Depot. In his role, he is responsible for financial planning & analysis, economic outlook, procurement, merchandise cost out, and decision analytics. Jordan joined The Home Depot in 2013 as Director of Strategic Development. He has held roles of increasing responsibility across Finance, including Senior Director of Supply Chain Finance and Senior Director of Strategic Development. Prior to joining the Company, Jordan held a variety of finance and strategy roles at LexisNexis, Bain & Company and General Motors. Jordan has a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from the University of South Carolina and a master’s in business administration from Harvard University.
All-Star Auto Industry Panel
Moderator:
Topic:
2019 Outlook
Brief Bio:
Dr. Tkac is a senior vice president and associate director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. She leads the financial markets and micro/macro research economics teams, serves as a policy adviser, and provides strategic direction for the research division. Tkac conducts research on various financial market topics including investor decision making, the mutual fund industry, financial regulation, and the recent financial crisis and policy responses. Her research has won two William F. Sharpe Awards at the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis.
In addition to publishing in academic journals, Tkac frequently speaks to academic and practitioner groups and has appeared on C-SPAN and as an op-ed writer in the Wall Street Journal. Before joining the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Tkac was on the faculty of the finance department at the University of Notre Dame. Tkac earned her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in economics from the University of Chicago.
Topic:
The Current State of Rail
Brief Bio:
Alan Shaw is Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Norfolk Southern Corporation. He has overall responsibility for Norfolk Southern’s marketing and sales, industrial development, short line, and real estate activities across the NS network, including international business activity. He has been with Norfolk Southern for 24 years and has held various positions within the company.
Mr. Shaw is a graduate of Virginia Tech where he earned a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and a MBA in Finance. He also graduated from the General Management Program at Harvard Business School and is Chartered Financial Analyst® charterholder.
Topic:
Trends in US Manufacturing
Bio:
Chad Moutray is chief economist for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). He frequently comments on current economic conditions for manufacturers through professional presentations and media interviews. He has appeared on Bloomberg, CNBC, C-SPAN, Fox Business and Fox News, among other news outlets.
Prior to joining the NAM, Dr. Moutray was the chief economist and director of economic research for the Office of Advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from 2002 to 2010. Dr. Moutray was also the dean of the School of Business Administration at Robert Morris College in Chicago, Ill. (now Robert Morris University of Illinois).
Dr. Moutray is a former board member of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE). He is also the former president and chairman of the National Economists Club, the local NABE chapter for Washington, D.C. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Eastern Illinois University. He is a Certified Business Economist™.
In 2014, he received the Outstanding Graduate Alumni Award from Eastern Illinois University, and in 2015, he accepted the Alumnus Achievement Award from Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill., where he earned his associate’s degree in business administration.
Topic:
The State of Georgia's Economy
Brief Bio:
Professor Rajeev Dhawan wears a dual hat as holder of the Zwerner Chair of Economic Forecasting and as Director of the Economic Forecasting Center at the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. As director of one of the country’s premier forecasting centers, Dhawan develops forecasts for the U.S., Southeast regional and local metro Atlanta economies. He is a sought-after presenter and is widely quoted in the media.
Prior to joining Georgia State University in the fall of 2000, he served as director of Econometric Forecasting at the Business Forecasting Project of the Anderson School of Business at UCLA. He also has taught at Pepperdine University and California State University at Long Beach. Dhawan earned a B.A. in economics with honors from St. Stephen’s College in India, an M.A. in economics from the Delhi School of Economics in India and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Topic:
Views on the Southeast Regional Economy
Brief Bio:
Mr. Vitner is a managing director and senior economist at Wells Fargo, responsible for tracking U.S. and regional economic trends. Based in Charlotte, N.C., he also writes for the company’s Monthly Economic Outlook report, the Weekly Economic & Financial Commentary, and provides regular updates on the housing markets, commercial real estate, regional economies, and inflation.
Mr. Vitner joined Wachovia (then First Union) in 1993. Before that, he spent nine years as an economist for Barnett Banks in Jacksonville, Fla. His commentary has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and many other publications.
Originally from Atlanta, Mr. Vitner earned his B.B.A. in economics from the University of Georgia, an M.B.A. from the University of North Florida, and has completed further graduate work in economics at the University of Florida.
2019 - 2020 Tentative Speaker Line Up
Topic:
Global Economic Outlook
Brief Bio:
Dr. Nariman Behravesh is Chief Economist of IHS Markit and author of Spin-Free Economics: A No-Nonsense, Nonpartisan Guide to Today's Global Economic Debates (McGraw-Hill). Directing the entire economic forecasting process at IHS Markit, he is responsible for developing the economic outlook and risk analysis for the United States, Europe, Japan, China and other emerging markets. He oversees the work of over 400 professionals, located in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa who cover economic, financial, and political developments in over 200 countries.
Consumer Panel: Household Wealth and Consumer Spending Trends:
Panelist:
Joanne Hsu, Ph.D., Economist at Federal Reserve Board of Governors
Chris Wheat, Ph.D., Director of Business Research at JPMorgan Chase Institute
Electric Vehicles and Local Partnerships Panel
Trade Panel: The Future of 'NAFTA':
Panelist: Nadia Theodore, Javier Díaz de León
Moderator: Dennis Lockhart
Topic:
2020 Economic Outlook
Brief Bio:
As KPMG’s Chief Economist, Constance Hunter heads macroeconomic research, analytics and forecasting for the firm. She is also a member of KPMG’s pension advisory board. She works closely with the firm’s leadership and clients to identify inflection points, risks and opportunities that arise in the constantly evolving economic landscape.
Constance is a recognized economic thought leader, who was recently named vice president of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), from which she holds the Certified Business Economist designation. She is a regular speaker at conferences on a wide variety of macroeconomic topics and a frequent guest on all major financial media channels. In addition to NABE, she is actively involved with a several economic and financial market associations including the New York Association for Business Economics , Money Marketeers, National Committee for U.S.-China Relations, and 100 Women in Finance. She is also on the board of GallopNYC, an organization that changes lives of disabled New Yorkers by offering therapeutic horsemanship programs in six locations.
Constance graduated with a BA in Economics and Sociology from New York University, and holds a Master’s of International Affairs with a concentration in international economics from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).
Housing Panel
Tentative Panel:
Cory Boydston, CFO of Ashton Woods
Egbert Perry, CEO of Integral Group and Board Chairman of Fannie Mae
Moderated by: Frank Nothaft, Ph.D., Chief Economist at CoreLogic
Transportation & Logistics Panel
Panelists:
Griff Lynch, Executive Director at Georgia Port Authority
Pat Casey, Vice President of Fleet Management at TTX
Moderator:
Ibrahiim Bayaan, PhD (ABD), Chief Economist at Freightwaves
Topic:
Labor Statistics
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