Cameron University’s Bill W. Burgess Jr. Business Research Center (BBRC) and the Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce will host a business forum examining how supply chain issues are impacting the local economy. The event is slated from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 18, and will take place in the Mary Lou and W. Carey Johnson Auditorium in Ross Hall.
The forum is open to the public at no charge. Social distancing will be observed, and facial coverings are recommended. For those wishing to attend via Zoom, please email Dr. Syed Ahmed, director of the BBRC, at syeda@cameron.edu for a secure link.
Chad Wilkerson, Vice President, Economist and Oklahoma City Branch Executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, will present the keynote address. He will present an overview of the national and regional economy, along with specific indicators for the U.S., Oklahoma and local region. He will also discuss how supply chain disruptions and shortages are affecting manufacturers and other businesses in the region, how long they expect these to last, and what firms are doing in response to these challenges.
Local businessmen Phil Kennedy, a member of the Lawton Economic Development Corporation, and Hossein Moini, former board chairman of the Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce, will serve as panelists. Kennedy is the owner of Comanche Home Center/Ace Hardware and Carpet One, and Moini is the owner of Charley’s Grilled Subs, Cinnabon and Adventure Travel. Both have experienced supply chain issues at their respective businesses.
Wilkerson serves as the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s lead officer and regional economist in Oklahoma. He is responsible for briefing the Kansas City Fed’s president, who is a member of the Federal Open Market Committee, on economic trends in the state. His research focuses on developments in key industries in the region, including energy and manufacturing.
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PR#21-148
