"Outlook Conference Welcomes New Faces"
Harwell, Penn Join Jones College of Business

Daily News Journal (9/8/02)

MTSU's 10th annual Economic Outlook Conference Sept. 27 will welcome two new faces to the Jennings A. Jones College of Business.

Aubrey B. Harwell, managing partner of Neal and Harwell, a prominent Nashville law firm, is the new holder of the Jennings A. Jones Chair of Excellence in Free Enterprise. David Penn, who came from the University of Oklahoma, is the new director of the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC). Both the chair and the center are co-sponsoring the conference.

"I could not be more pleased than to have this conference as the stage to welcome two gentlemen of such high caliber to MTSU and the Jennings A. Jones College of Business," said Jim Burton, business dean.

The conference will be held in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. Following registration, which will begin at 8:15 a.m., MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee will join Harwell in welcoming conferees at 8:45.

The program will kick off at 9 a.m. with Donald Ratajczak, Regents professor of economics emeritus at Georgia State University.

Ratajczak served as director of the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University for 27 years. In 1994, he received the Blue Chip award for forecasting accuracy during the four previous years. He
appears regularly in CNBC and writes a weekly column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ratajczak will provide an economic overview of the region and field questions from the audience.

At 10:30, Albert E. DePrince Jr., professor of economics and finance and former BERC director, will speak on interest rates and the effects of the business cycle and financial ups and downs.

Penn, who replaced DePrince as director of the center, will discuss the role of the BERC amid the growth and development of Middle Tennessee. F. Kathleen Vinlove, BERC associate director, will follow with an overview of the center's products and current projects.

"The Economic Outlook Conference has become a tradition at MTSU because it delivers what it promises — substance, expertise and an opportunity for business and industry professionals to share common concerns," Burton said. "This year's conference is no exception. Anyone who cares about the economic future of our state and region will become more
enlightened."

Lunch will begin at 11:45, and Cordia W. Harrington, president/CEO of the Tennessee Bun Company, will deliver the luncheon address at approximately 12:15 p.m.

Following lunch, Burton will present the fifth annual Jennings A. Jones Champion of Free Enterprise Award, which recognizes a person who exemplifies the ideals of free enterprise through any combination of
entrepreneurship, governmental involvement, participation in civic and charitable affairs, and education.

The event will adjourn at 1 p.m.

Registration fee is $25 per person, which includes materials and lunch. The registration deadline is Sept. 20; registration at the door will not guarantee lunch. MTSU business faculty, as well as deans and vice presidents, will be admitted free of charge. Non-business faculty, students, and staff who wish to attend the luncheon may do so at a
charge of $12.50.

To register, mail your check for the registration fee to MTSU, Box 101,
Murfreesboro, Tenn. 37132.

Visitors are encouraged to park in the Tennessee Livestock Center lot on Greenland Drive and take a shuttle bus to the James Union Building.

For more information, call Burton at 898-2764, or Penn at 898-2610.