PLNU announces creation of regional business and economic institute, sets Economic Outlook Forum

San Diego, California

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

San Diego has a new source for economic solutions: the Fermanian Business & Economic Institute (FBEI) at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU).
 
The FBEI was known previously as the Fermanian Business Center. In addition to its prior services, the new FBEI will provide economic analysis, studies, and services to businesses and nonprofit organizations through contracts, fee-for-service consulting, publications, and events.
 
Currently, the FBEI is providing contracted analysis and services for the San Diego Zoological Society on their new biomimicry initiative and for the San Diego Military Advisory Council regarding military construction projects in the San Diego region. Additional work or strategic relationships have been developed with San Diego World Trade Center, San Diego Economic Development Corporation, Beacon Economics, and the International Facility Management Association, among other organizations.
 
Key FBEI staff will include Randy Ataide, executive director; Lynn Reaser, Ph.D., chief economist; Cathy Gallagher, director; Courtney Hamad, manager, and Dieter Mauerman as research assistant.

The FBEI has partnered with the San Diego Economic Development Corporation for a 2010 Economic Outlook Forum scheduled for March 4, at the San Diego Marriott. Bank of America has been named as the event sponsor. The event is titled The New Economic Reality: How 'New' and How 'Real'? Information on the event can be found at www.pointloma.edu/Fermanian.
 

About Lynn Reaser
Lynn Reaser, Ph.D., has deep experience in the financial services sector, including work during the past 10 years as chief economist of the Investment Strategies Group at Bank of America. In this role, she provided the global and U.S. economic framework for investment strategy for high net-worth, institutional, and brokerage clients, encompassing over $500 billion (U.S.) under management.
 
At Bank of America, she delivered approximately 100 client presentations per year and conducted 200-600 media interviews annually.
 
Reaser is the current president of the National Association for Business Economics. In the past year, she has also been a member of the Boston Economic Club and the American Bankers' Association's Economic Advisory Council. Reaser received her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.
 
 
About Randy Ataide
Randy Ataide brings considerable business experience to the executive director position, having worked for more than 20 years as an entrepreneur in developing several interrelated, diversified agricultural companies. He remains active in the business community through his involvement in several business startups, board membership, and business consulting. Ataide was recently named one of San Diego's 2010 Influentials by the San Diego Daily Transcript.
 
Ataide holds a bachelor of arts in speech communication, a master's degree in theology, and a Juris Doctor degree. He is a member of the California State Bar Association. He has also completed Stanford Graduate School of Business's Executive Management Program and Harvard Business School's Owner-President Management Program.
 
In addition to his duties as executive director of the FBEI, Ataide is also a professor of entrepreneurship teaching contemporary management, entrepreneurship, and leads the small business institute and entrepreneur enrichment program at PLNU. He has published extensively on entrepreneurship, business education, and related fields.
--Point Loma Nazarene University

 

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