Welcome Aboard, New NABE Members!

Please join the NABE Board of Directors and staff in welcoming new members who joined over the last two months.  Since January 2006, 499 persons have joined NABE. New members are added to the on-line registry at http://www.nabe.com/mem/search.html at the beginning of each month.  The first issue of two IdeaLinks emailed to NABE members each month includes a listing of new members.   Here are selections from brief interviews, conducted by e-mail, with four new members:

Sarah Place
President and Chief Executive Officer
Place Trade Financial, Inc.                                                                
Raleigh, N.C.                                                                          

What is your current position?
I am president, chief executive officer and founder of the firm, which was established in 2002.   It became a NASD member firm in 2003.

What is the main focus of your company or organization?
Place Trade Financial, Inc. (Member NASD, SIPC) is a full service, discount brokerage firm with online trading.  The firm’s goal is to offer an alternative that allows clients to have their own personal financial professional, seek advice when they need it while still having the freedom to trade online and make their own decisions.

What are your career highlights and education--before your current job?
Before starting the firm, I worked as an international mutual fund accountant for a major global asset management firm in Boston and served as a financial advisor. My education includes a Bachelor’s Degree in economics-finance at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass., and an MBA at St. Mary’s University Graduate School of Business in San Antonio, Texas.  My proudest highlights include charitable work and supporting my husband through a distinguished military career.

Why did you join NABE?
NABE offers access to great information, ideas and the opportunity to become involved with as well as to learn from some of the most respected economic leaders of today.

What drew you to economics?
When I was in college I was drawn to economics simply because of a challenge.   At the time, I had no idea that all of those theories, graphs and colored pens would play such an important role in nearly every facet of business decision-making. What started as a dare developed into a fascination with what makes the financial world go ‘round.

John Stumpf
Vice President, Strategic Planning
MDU Resources Group, Inc.                                                                                   
Bismark, N.D.

What is your current position?
My present position is vice president, strategic planning for MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE MDU).  I have held this position for only two months.  Formerly, I was vice president, corporate development of Knife River Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of MDU.  I have been employed with the MDU family of companies for 15 years.

During my career with MDU, I was involved in 60 business acquisitions in the mining and construction materials business.  I am a CPA and prior to MDU I spent six years in public accounting.  I am also a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

What is the main focus of your company or organization?
As vice president of strategic planning, I will be involved with the development and promotion of business strategy along MDU's core business lines which are:  energy services (oil and gas exploration and production, pipeline and natural gas storage service) construction materials and mining (production of construction sand & gravel, crushed stone, asphalt, concrete etc.) and utility-related services (gas and electric utilities and utility construction services). At MDU, we have a legacy of strategic planning and attempt to stay abreast of our business environment and the external factors that affect our situation.  Obviously, being a company that is very engaged in energy and construction-related commodities, the economy is very important.  I have a personal interest is staying abreast of the economy so this position was of special interest to me.

Why did you join NABE?
I joined NABE based on the advice of my predecessor, Floyd Wilson, who retired.  I am looking forward to becoming an active participant.

Tamara Wagester
Executive Director
Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics                                 
Washington, D.C.

What is your current position?
I am executive director of the Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (C-FARE).  As executive director, I manage and direct all activities for the organization.  This includes, tracking agricultural and food-related legislation as well as organizing educational briefings for congressional staff, agency staff, industry representatives, and others. I have been in this position since September 1999

What is the main focus of your company or organization?
C-FARE is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening the presence of the agricultural, natural resources, food, and applied economics profession in Washington, D.C., in matters of science policy and federal budget determination.

What are your career highlights and education--before your current job?
I received a B.S. in agricultural communications and political science from Michigan State University in 1996.  After moving to Washington, D.C., I worked on Capitol Hill for several years before I joined C-FARE.  I also completed graduate courses in economics at George Mason University.

Why did you join NABE?
Colleagues strongly recommended NABE because of its professionalism and the quality of its meetings and membership.

What drew you to economics?
Economics provides a simple approach to understand the omnipresent trade-offs that policymakers face as well as offering ways to improve the quality of policies.