Whether you run a small business or a major corporation, the economy has an impact on the success of your company. Southeastern Federal Credit Union and the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber invite the public to the 2015 Business Outlook Breakfast on Thursday, Feb. 19 from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Rainwater Conference Center. The event, attended by the area’s most influential business leaders, will feature a panel of economic experts who will present the state of the 2015 business economy.  

“This is an opportunity for local leaders in business and industry, politics, education, and non-profit organizations to gain greater insight into economic opportunities and the corresponding threats sitting on the horizon,” said E. Michael Gudely, CEO of Southeastern Federal Credit Union.

The event’s esteemed panel includes Dr. Thomas Cunningham, vice president and regional executive for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Dr. Jeffery Humphreys, economist at the University of Georgia; and Dr. Cynthia Tori, economist at Valdosta State University. 

Each panelist boasts an impressive resume. Dr. Cunningham, who has served as a member of the Federal Reserve System’s Information Security Group and Technology Services Council, will begin the program with a look at the economy from a national and global perspective. Dr. Cunningham is a member of the American Economic Association, the Western Economic Association, and the Southern Economic Association.

The Georgia economic outlook will be presented by Dr. Humphreys, director of the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. The Selig Center is an endowed economic forecasting and market research center. Dr. Humphreys is a member of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors and is a monthly columnist for Georgia Trend Magazine.

Finally, Dr. Tori, with the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business at Valdosta State University, will present the Metro Valdosta forecast. Dr. Tori has been published in the Journal of Macroeconomics, the Atlantic Economic Journal, and the International Journal of Economics and Finance.  Dr. Tori has also presented the Lowndes County By The Numbers report during the Annual Economic Summit, which compares Lowndes County to 14 peer and aspirant communities.  

The forum will fill quickly. For more information and to register, please visit www.ValdostaChamber.com/BusinessOutlook or call (229) 247-8100 ext. 221. Registration is $17 for Chamber members and $22 for non-members. Breakfast is included with registration.