President’s Letter

Dear Fellow NABE members:

As we count down the closing days of 2009, I wanted to update you on some of the things taking place in your organization to make it more useful to you and your career.
Our Board of Directors met on Friday, the 13th of November, with a lot of positive energy despite the ominous date on the calendar.  Because I believe we should be very goal oriented, our committee chairmen discussed their primary objectives for the year.  Late that afternoon, we visited the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, sharing our views on the economic outlook, industry conditions, and regional developments.  These kinds of meetings with policymakers help to enhance NABE’s image and are one of the benefits that individuals who volunteer for leadership positions in NABE find particularly rewarding.

As we move into 2010, here are some of the NABE products, services, and events that may interest you most:

Our jobs site is now up and running with over 1,000 listings for economists.  If you have not already seen it, check it out at EconJobs.org.  It provides a “one-stop shop” for your job search.  It is free and open to all now, although prospective employers will see the resumes of NABE members come up first.

Look for a refreshed website early next year, reflective of our effort to re-energize the organization and fully embrace the 21st century and all of its technology.  You should find the new website much more appealing and user friendly.

Our conferences are shaping up to be events not to be missed.  Be sure to register for the Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., on March 7-9.  Stuart Mackintosh and his team have assembled an awesome line-up, including Christina Romer, chair of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors; Jim Owens, chairman and chief executive officer of Caterpillar; and Douglas Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office.  Even if you cannot attend any of the sessions, you will not want to miss the reception at the French Embassy!

The Economic Roundtables are actively organizing various teleconferences.  Invest a half hour and check out one of these sessions.  You will discover a great deal of valuable information in a minimum of time.  On December 3, Ken Simonson launched our newest Roundtable—Real Estate/Construction—with a highly useful session.  In addition, we have introduced KnowledgeLINK, which allows our members to purchase the entire suite of conference calls on various issues and surveys for a flat annual fee.

Our local chapters are receiving much more attention from us as we seek ways for the national organization to serve them better, such as assisting with some of the administrative work by making better use of technology.  NABE Executive Director Tom Beers and I will be trying to visit as many of the local chapters as we can in the coming year.  If you are interested in either of us addressing your group, please contact Tom or me.  Chad Moutray has also reached out to new potential chapters around the country and is working to launch some new ventures.

Finally, students and young people are in the center of our radar screen, as we attempt to generate enthusiasm in them about economics and help to transition them into the real world.  We have a program, developed by Parul Jain, whereby any teacher who signs up ten students to join NABE (at a student rate of $30 per year) can receive a year of complimentary membership.  If you know any professors or teachers who might be able to recruit several students, please send them or direct them to the registration materials, which can be found under the “Join” tab on our website.

 These are just some of the projects and efforts we have under way as we strive to make NABE the organization that is “a must belong” institution for anyone who uses economics at work or is as passionate about the subject and its value as are most of us.

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday,
Lynn Reaser

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