As of March 10th, the spring 2020 R.E.I.F. has been canceled to safeguard the health and wellbeing of attendees in light of COVID-19. For those who already registered, watch for information by email regarding refunds.
Exploring the Influences on our region's economy. National Bank of Commerce, together with leading area educational institutions and business frontrunners, created and continues to sponsor the Regional Economic Indicators Forum (REIF); a comprehensive research initiative to drive growth, prosperity and collaboration across our region.
Exploring the health and trajectory of the REIF region and our MN and WI economies
Forum Date and Agenda: Tuesday, March 31, 2020, 7:00-9:30 am (Program starts at 8:00 a.m.)
7:00 Sign-in opens
7:00 - 8:00 Student poster session, networking, breakfast buffet
8:00 - 9:30 Student and keynote presentations
Location: DECC Harbor Side Ballroom
Keynote: Ron Wirtz, Director of Regional Outreach at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Ron will discuss the current state and long-term trajectory of the Minnesota and Wisconsin economies, while also focusing specifically on Duluth and Superior in relation to regional peers. He will review trends in recent economic activity, annual output, job growth, hiring demand, and other economic metrics along with the role of labor supply in future growth. Ron will also use an interactive survey to anonymously poll attendees to gauge how firms are performing in the current economy and what their outlook is for the rest of 2020.
Cost: Advance registration $25, at the door $30. If you are paying at the door, please pay by check. We can't accept credit cards at the door.
About the Keynote Presenter: Ron Wirtz is a Regional Outreach Director for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Ron’s primary responsibilities involve tracking current business conditions across the six-state Ninth Federal Reserve District, which includes Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, northwest Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas and Montana. Ron tracks activity in employment and wages – which are central to the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate of promoting stable prices and maximum employment – along with construction, real estate, tourism and consumer spending. Part of Ron’s work includes extensive outreach to business and community leaders, and he gives frequent speeches on Ninth District regional economies. Ron is a contributor to the Beige Book, which is a report of current business conditions published by the Federal Reserve System every six weeks. Previous to this position, Ron was the editor of the fedgazette, a regional business and economics journal published by the Minneapolis Fed. Here, he conducted in-depth research on such topics as labor markets and job growth, health care consolidation, the Bakken oil boom, income mobility, disability, public pensions, and many others.
