Economic Outlook Forum

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The Economic Outlook Forum is an annual event where experts in areas of banking, finance, and academia discuss economic trends and forecasts for the upcoming year. The event is hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi, College of Business and Economic Development.

This year, the event will be held in-person on Thursday, February 29, 2024, from 10-1:00pm in the Trent Lott National Center on the USM Hattiesburg campus.

If you have any questions, please call 601.266.4659.

2024 Speakers

Dr. Gary Wagner

Dr. Gary A. Wagner currently holds the Acadiana Business Economist Endowed Chair at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In this role, he monitors the region's economic environment, conducts research and analysis, and engages with external stakeholders on behalf of the Moody College of Business and University.

His research interests range from regional economics to state and local public finance issues, with a particular focus on tax structures and economic development, borrowing costs, and pension systems. He has authored or coauthored more than 60 professional articles and reports and has delivered more than 300 presentations to public audiences on national and regional economic conditions. Dr. Wagner served on the Governor's Council of Economic Advisors in Arkansas from 2008-2011, and he is a quarterly participant in the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's Survey of Professional Forecasters projecting national economic conditions.

Dr. Wagner holds a Ph.D. in Economics from West Virginia University. His professional research has appeared in many leading economics journals including the Journal of Urban Economics, Journal of Law and Economics, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, National Tax Journal, Economics and Politics, and Regional Science and Urban Economics. Gary is also editor-in-chief at Public Finance Review and co-editor at Contemporary Economic Policy. Prior to joining the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, he was Vice-President & Senior Regional Officer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.

Mr. Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas is a Vice President Regional Director in Goldman Sachs’ asset management division, with 14 years of dedicated service to the firm. Prior to his role with Goldman Sachs, he spent five years working for Van Kampen Funds. He earned an MBA from Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management and holds the prestigious Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He resides in Franklin, Tennessee, with his wife, Erika, and their three daughters.