UA WALTON COLLEGE'S BUSINESS FORECAST 2001 LUNCHEON TO FEATURE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ECONOMISTS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Sam M. Walton College of Business Administration at the University of Arkansas has announced the nationally recognized economists who will participate in its seventh annual Business Forecast luncheon on Friday, January 26, 2001. The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center, Springdale, Arkansas.

J. Kirk Thompson, president and chief executive office of J. B. Transport Services Inc., will moderate the Business Forecast 2001 panel of economists, which includes:

• C. Mark Dadd, former chief economist for AT&T Corporation;
• Diane C. Swonk, the chief economist and a senior vice president for Bank One Corporation in Chicago; and
• Jeffery T. Collins, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research in the Walton College at the University of Arkansas.

Walton College Dean Doyle Z. Williams said, "We were delighted that this panel of outstanding economists accepted our invitation to join us. This is an opportunity for businesses in Northwest Arkansas and the region to hear first hand what the experts think about the business climate in the coming year."

Williams added, "This event is an outreach of the Walton College, and we are grateful for the support of our many fine sponsors, who have made this event possible. Last year, we had 640 in attendance, and we expect that many this year."

Sponsors for Business Forecast, which is being held in association with the National Association for Business Economics, include: AEP Southwestern Electric Power, A.G. Edwards of Northwest Arkansas, Arvest Banks, B&B Resources Inc., Bank of America Private Bank, Bank of Pocahontas, The Chase Global Private Bank, Dan and Jodi Grubb, First National Bank of Fort Smith, Greenwood & Associates Inc., Merrill Lynch of Fayetteville, Southwestern Energy Company, Tyson Foods Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc./SAM'S Club.

Thompson is president and chief executive officer of J. B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., the largest publicly held transportation company in North America with annual revenues of more than $2 billion. He joined J. B. Hunt in 1973 and was elected president and chief operating officer in 1986. The following year was elected chief executive officer. He has served on the Board of Directors since 1985. An active supporter of the University of Arkansas, he serves on the Walton College's Deans Executive Advisory Board, the 2010 Commission and the Campaign for the 21^st Century committee. Thompson holds a B.S.B.A from the U of A and is a certified public accountant.

Dadd will present the international economic forecast. He currently is a consultant specializing in providing advice on corporate cost reduction, the impact of the economy on industry and on business strategy. Previously, he was financial vice president - competitive and industry analysis and chief economist for AT&T. His responsibilities included the financial analysis of competitors, forecasts of telecommunications industries growth, business case analyses and pricing decisions, and the economic analysis. He received his B.S. from the University of Nottingham, England and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin as a Fulbright Fellow.

Swonk will discuss the national forecast. She is the chief economist and a senior vice president for Bank One Corporation in Chicago, the nation's fourth-largest bank holding company, with assets of more than $280 billion. She currently manages the Bank's Corporate Economics Group. She is among the most quoted on the economy in the financial press. Listed as one of the Wall Street Journal's "Star Forecasters," Swonk often is called upon as an economic expert by policymakers, including the White House. She has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in economics with honors from the University of Michigan and an MBA with honors from the University of Chicago.

Collins will cover the local and state forecast. He is the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas and an assistant professor of economics. He oversees applied economic research as part of the Walton College's outreach mission. For example, in a recent study for the U of A's 2010 Commission, he found for every dollar invested in a research university, there is a 23 percent return. Collins earned a Ph.D. in economics in 1996 from the University of Tennessee. Previously, he was dean of the business school at Lincoln Memorial University in eastern Tennessee.

The Walton College's Center for Business and Economic Research is a public service/outreach organization whose mission is to serve its constituents with research support; basic and applied business and economic analysis; timely, relevant business, economic and related public policy information; and other outreach activities. In addition to supporting research within the College, the CBER supports economic development by providing economic and demographic data and analysis to business, government, and individuals. The Center also serves as a focal point in providing assistance to faculty and students in experimentation with their ideas and techniques in both theoretical and applied research.

For more information on Business Forecast 2001, contact the Center for Business and Economic Research, Sam M. Walton College of Business Administration, Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, (479) 575-4151, fax (479) 575-7687 or e-mail cberinfo@caverm.uark.edu.

To register online, visit the Business Forecast Web site at:

www.uark.edu/depts/cberinfo/busfor/

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