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. We have a speaker at each meeting, as well as ample time for networking.
Below is our meeting schedule for the 2017 - 2018 year. The dates and speaker lineup are subject to change.
Topic:
To Eat In or To Eat Out: That is the question... Understanding the consumer dynamics in the foodservice industry
Brief Bio:
Mr. Carlos Herrera is Chief Economist for Coca-Cola North America Foodservice and On-Premise division. The main thrust of his work is to increase the visibility of ‘what’s to come’ through a deeper understanding of the Foodservice industry from an economic perspective. His forecasts are a key input to the development of strategic and operational plans. Carlos regularly shares his insights on the impact of the economy on consumers and the restaurant industry with the executive leadership, boards of directors, and franchisees of leading foodservice companies around the world.
Topic:
Some Like it Hot: Assessing Long-term Labor Market Benefits from a High Pressure Economy
Brief Bio:
Dr. Julie Hotchkiss is a research economist and senior adviser on the applied microeconomics team in the research department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Her major fields of study are earnings and employment differentials across different groups of workers, variations in employment and earnings across time, and policy implications of changes in labor supply. She also contributes to the Atlanta Fed's macroblog, which provides commentary on economic topics, including monetary policy, macroeconomic developments, and the Southeast economy.
Dr. Hotchkiss also serves as the executive director of the Atlanta Research Data Center (ARDC), which helps researchers access nonpublic data that is part of the Federal Statistical RDC Network. Dr. Hotchkiss is currently an adjunct professor of economics at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University, where she was professor prior to joining the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Her research has been published in various journals, including Applied Economics, the Review of Economics and Statistics, and the American Economic Review. She is also a member of several economics-related professional associations.
Dr. Hotchkiss received bachelor of arts degrees in economics and French from Willamette University. She earned her master's and doctoral degrees in economics at Cornell University.
Topic:
The Trend in Healthcare Costs
Brief Bio:
Dr. Newman is a senior advisor with the Health Care Cost Institute. He was previously Executive Director (ED) of the Health Care Cost Institute and served as ED for the first five and a half years of the Institute.
Dr. Newman possesses a PhD in Political Science from the University of Rochester and a JD from the University of New Hampshire Law School and has held academic appointments at Georgetown University, the National University of Singapore, and Lingnan University in Hong Kong.
NOTE: This luncheon will be held at SunTrust Plaza Tower
Topic:
The economy
Brief Bio:
Mark M. Zandi is chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, where he directs economic research. He is a cofounder of the company Economy.com, which Moody’s purchased in 2005. A trusted adviser to policymakers and an influential source of economic analysis for businesses, journalists and the public, Dr. Zandi frequently testifies before Congress on various economic topics. He is often quoted in national and global publications and interviewed by major news media outlets, and is a frequent guest on CNBC, NPR, Meet the Press, CNN, and various other national networks and news programs.
Dr. Zandi is on the board of directors of MGIC, the nation’s largest private mortgage insurance company, and The Reinvestment Fund, a large community development financial institution (CDFI) that makes investments in disadvantaged neighborhoods. He authored several books, including Paying the Price: Ending the Great Recession and Beginning a New American Century and Financial Shock.
Dr. Zandi earned his B.S. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania.
Brief Bio:
Mr. Swire is a sought-after privacy and cybersecurity expert, having previously served as privacy czar for the White House. Swire is author of five books and numerous scholarly papers. He has testified often before the Congress, and been quoted regularly in the press. He is currently a Professor of Law and Ethics at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business and is Senior Counsel with Alston & Bird, LLP.
Brief Bio:
Dr. DeMarco is expert on housing, with extensive experience in the field. From 2009 to 2014, DeMarco served as acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). He received a B.A. in economics from the University of Notre Dame and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland.
Topic:
Unconventional Oil & Gas – Implications for the Economy
Brief Bio:
Dr. Swift is the chief economist at the American Chemistry Council in Washington, DC, where he is responsible for economic analyses dealing with markets, energy, trade, tax, and innovation, as well as monitoring business conditions, identifying emerging trends, and assessing the economic and societal contributions of the business of chemistry. Previously, Dr. Swift held executive level positions at two major industrial market research consultancies.
He is a participant of The Wall Street Journal Forecasters’ Survey panel and the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank's forecasters' survey, among other high-profile forecasting surveys. He is a member of numerous economic thought-leadership organizations; most notably, the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), and is currently serving as vice president for the 2017/18 term.
In recognition of his many professional contributions to the field of business economics, Dr. Swift was elected a NABE Fellow. He was also one of the first to achieve NABE’s Certified Business Economist (CBE) designation.
Dr. Swift graduated with a BA degree from Ashland College and with an MA degree in Economics from Case Western Reserve University. He is also a graduate of Anglia Polytechnic University with a doctorate in business administration (DBA) degree and has completed studies at Harvard University and the University of Oxford.
Dr. Swift is an adjunct professor of business economics at the University of Mary Washington. He is also a member of the Heritage Council of the Chemical Heritage Foundation.
Brief Bio:
Ms. Winter is a graduate of Furman University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration. She is currently the Senior Real Estate Review Appraiser with United Community Bank. She was previously with SunTrust Bank since 2007 and most recently served as the Senior Review Officer and Manager for the Central Region of the Real Estate Valuations Group. During her 23 years of commercial real estate experience, she has held a variety of positions from asset management to valuation. Having served as Vice President with regional responsibilities for two of the nation’s largest banks, Wells Fargo and Bank of America, she was actively involved in real estate risk management, policy formulation and strategic planning. In addition, she was President and founder of the River Oaks Group, LLC and a principal at Novogradac & Co., LLP, a public accounting firm specializing in historic tax credits and low income housing tax credits. Sandra earned the MAI designation in 1994. She is an active participant in the valuation industry and has served in various leadership roles including the 2009 President for the Atlanta Area Chapter of the Appraisal Institute, and currently serves as a national board member of the Appraisal Institute. In addition, Governor Sonny Perdue appointed Ms. Winter to the Georgia Real Estate Appraisers Board in 2004 and she served as Vice-Chair for 10 years.
Topic:
TBD
Brief Bio:
Dr. Raphael W. Bostic is the 15th president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He is responsible for all the Bank's activities, including monetary policy, bank supervision and regulation, and payment services. In addition, he serves on the Federal Reserve's chief monetary policy body, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).
From 2012 to 2017, Bostic served as the Judith and John Bedrosian Chair in Governance and the Public Enterprise at the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California (USC). He arrived at USC in 2001 and served as a professor in the School of Policy, Planning, and Development. His research has spanned many fields, including home ownership, housing finance, neighborhood change, and the role of institutions in shaping policy effectiveness.
From 2009 to 2012, Bostic served as assistant secretary for policy development and research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He worked at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors from 1995 to 2001, serving as an economist and then a senior economist in the monetary and financial studies section, where his work on the Community Reinvestment Act earned him a special achievement award. He served as special assistant to HUD's assistant secretary of policy development and research in 1999. He was also a professional lecturer at American University in 1998.
Dr. Bostic graduated from Harvard University in 1987 with a combined major in economics and psychology. He earned his doctorate in economics from Stanford University in 1995.